Posted on 05/26/2004 4:36:12 AM PDT by ElisabethInCincy
Call to prayer, noise ordinance, to go before Hamtramck voters
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
BY CECIL ANGEL FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER It's now up to voters.
The decision that has split Hamtramck -- City Council approval of a noise ordinance that would have allowed the Muslim call to prayer to be broadcast on loudspeakers from the Al-Islah Islamic Center -- was affirmed by a 5-0 vote Tuesday night.
Because the council didn't rescind the ordinance, the issue will go before voters, as required by the city charter. Until then, the city must put the ordinance on hold because residents filed petitions to stop it from going into law today.
The issue could be on the ballot as early as July in a special election or in August, the next regular election.
Even though the ordinance is in limbo, the Al-Islah mosque's leaders said Tuesday night they will begin broadcasting the call to prayer in Arabic at 1:30 p.m. Friday.
Masud Khan, secretary of the Al-Islah Islamic Center, said the mosque has a constitutional right to broadcast the call to prayer, adding that it is already being done in Detroit and Dearborn.
"If Detroit can do it, why can't we?" he asked. "We have religious freedom. We can express our religion."
The mosque wouldn't be breaking any laws if it does, said Councilman Shahab Ahmed. He said the Islamic center was just being a good neighbor when it asked for the city's permission in January to begin broadcasting. It won't be penalized for using its loudspeakers to broadcast the call to prayer with or without the ordinance, he said.
Mosques in Dearborn and Detroit broadcast on loudspeakers and have done so without seeking permission from those city governments.
"I'm very disappointed it's going to a ballot and further divide the community," Ahmed said.
For Robert Zwolak, organizer of the petition drive, the issue is about noise, not religion. He's confident the ballot issue to overturn the ordinance will easily be approved by Hamtramck voters.
"I personally don't think we need a campaign," he said. "The people are aware of this thing."
But City Council President Karen Majewski said the irony of the petition drive is that it strips city control over the frequency and volume of the call-to-prayer broadcasts.
"The petition actually rescinds whatever control we might have had," Majewski said. "I don't see the logic in that."
Calls to prayer occur five times a day and last about two minutes. Officials at the Al-Islah Islamic Center say when they begin broadcasting, they will not do so in the early morning or late at night so no one will be disturbed.
Muslims have been in Hamtramck for decades, but a wave of immigration from Bangladesh, Yemen, Bosnia and other countries with large Muslim populations have boosted their numbers and political clout in the city.
The city has struggled with its changing demographics and religious and ethnic differences.
"Fear of change and fear of the unknown," are the reasons many residents signed the petitions against the call to prayer, said Councilman Rob Cedar. "I voted for this because I thought it was the right thing to do."
Do we know what they are saying?? Are they setting us up?? Kinda funny about the timing of this.
Can these MUSLIMES get away with this?
That title could be misleading.
From a thread last nite, a petition with enough signatures was presented to the council that stopped the prayer call, (IIRC), until it is voted on by the citizens.
Yes this is after the council meeting If u read. They will still do it """Even though the ordinance is in limbo, the Al-Islah mosque's leaders said Tuesday night they will begin broadcasting the call to prayer in Arabic at 1:30 p.m. Friday"""" The audacity of muslims!!
CC
"If Detroit can do it, why can't we?" he asked. "We have religious freedom. We can express our religion."
Muslims are so full of freedom of religion...
Saudi Arabia - Conversion by a Muslim to another religion is punishable by death. Bibles are illegal. Churches are illegal.
Yemen - Bans proselytizing by non-Muslims and forbids conversions. The Government does not allow the building of new non-Muslim places of worship.
Kuwait - Registration and licensing of religious groups. Members of religions not sanctioned in the Koran may not build places of worship. Prohibits organized religious education for religions other than Islam.
Egypt -Islam is the official state religion and primary source of legislation. Accordingly, religious practices that conflict with Islamic law are prohibited. Muslims may face legal problems if they convert to another faith. Requires non-Muslims to obtain what is now a presidential decree to build a place of worship.
Algeria - The law prohibits public assembly for purposes of practicing a faith other than Islam. Non-Islamic proselytizing is illegal, and the Government restricts the importation of non-Islamic literature for distribution.
Jordan - Has the death penalty for any Muslim selling land to a Jew.
(All information is from US State Department Human Rights Reports)
Yeah, ANY churches in the area should play "Amazing Grace" and/or other old hymns as a "call to faith & prayer" to all Christians in the area five times a day too. I'm serious.
Perhaps we need to start calling in as well... A little pressure never hurt a city council member.
Or buy the lot next door and set up a pork barbecue joint.
"The petition actually rescinds whatever control we might have had," Majewski said. "I don't see the logic in that."
The logic is by removing you from control, the people who don't want to have to listen to these heathens won't have to.
They'll probably have marginally more problems with the "locals" when they want to start expressing their "religious freedom" with regularly-scheduled public beheadings, but they'll eventually get favorable ordinances passed. Donchya just LOVE multi-culti? I'm not sure who I despise more, freaking raghead bastards or the willing, idiotic lapdogs who accomodate them. Curses on them all.
No, you don't.
Or test the civil defense sirens ;-)
Maybe the Fed. Govt. should buy beepers for the muslim congregants and the Mosque could just beep them at the right time for the call to prayer.
It would be a lot quieter and be right up to the state of the art in communications.
From a People subjugated since the dawn of time they sure know their rights in the good ol' U.S.A. in jig time.
These Council members NEED TO GO!
AMERICASTAN?
Maybe the Fed. Govt. should buy beepers for the muslim congregants...
Nah, they can go to WalMart and buy an alarm clock.
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