• Why Jihad Watch?
  • About Robert Spencer and Staff Writers
  • FAQ
  • Books
  • Muhammad
  • Islam 101
  • Privacy

Jihad Watch

Exposing the role that Islamic jihad theology and ideology play in the modern global conflicts

Michigan: It’s Christian bells vs. Muslim prayer calls

Apr 14, 2004 1:38 pm By Robert Spencer

muezzin.jpeg
Does this man need a microphone?

From the Detroit Free Press comes news of a kerfuffle in Wayne County over the Muslim call to prayer, which local Muslims want to broadcast over loudspeakers. Muslim spokesmen have referred to church bells ringing loudly at 6AM. But as Susan, who kindly sent me this link, points out, church bells and the call to prayer are not equivalent. Broadcasting the Muslim call to prayer over loudspeakers would be more like reciting the Lord’s Prayer, along with a call to accept Christianity, over loudspeakers five times a day.

Also: do church bells really ring at 6AM? They don’t here in Secure Undisclosed Locationville, but maybe some of you folks have a different experience.

Anyway, it will be interesting to see what the City Council does about this, and if they can avoid charges of discrimination if they rule against the mosque.

Hamtramck Muslim community members’ request to amend the city noise ordinance so mosques can use loudspeakers for a call to prayer has divided some residents along religious lines.

At a City Council public hearing Tuesday, Muslim speakers said they often hear church bells that are louder and ring as early as 6 a.m., but they don’t complain. They said the call to prayer would be less noisy.

“We don’t want to make it a big deal, like you’re trying to make it,” said Abdul Algazali, a Hamtramck businessman. “It’s a low-pitched voice. It’s not going to wake up anybody.”

Some Christians said the call to prayer, which occurs five times a day and starts as early as 6 a.m., would disrupt their lives.

“When you call to prayer, you are proselytizing, and as a citizen of the United States I don’t want to hear it,” said Bob Golen, 68, a Hamtramck resident.

Resident Caroline Zarski, 81, agreed.

“It is not my God. My God is Jesus Christ. I don’t want this noise invading my home at 10 p.m.,” she said.

The Al-Islah Islamic Center asked the city in January to amend its noise ordinance to allow the call to prayer between 6 a.m and 10 p.m. In February, the council appeared to support the change but wanted to hold a public hearing.

At that meeting, Council President Karen Majewski likened the call to prayer to church bells.

But other residents disagreed.

According to Councilman Scott Klein, “Petitions have circulated among mainly white and Christian members of the community for weeks asking the council not to amend the ordinance.

“Both sides have issued threats of federal lawsuits based on the constitutionality of the ban or the removal of the ban.”

Some say the opposition stems from fears that Hamtramck’s Eastern European heritage — largely Polish — will further fade.

But the measure is likely to pass, Majewski said. There will be a vote next week, and if it passes it would go into effect in late May.

The city has become increasingly Islamic in flavor.

Conant Avenue has evolved into a Little Bangladesh with a variety of businesses.

Muslims have come to the city from Bangladesh, Yemen, Pakistan and other Islamic countries. According to the Bangladesh Association of Michigan, 20,000 Bangladeshis live in metro Detroit, mostly in Hamtramck and adjacent Detroit neighborhoods.

There are five mosques in the city and three other mosques just over the border in Detroit.

Their influence has been growing steadily. The City Council has its first Muslim member, Shahab Ahmed.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Follow me on Facebook

Filed Under: Uncategorized


Learn more about RevenueStripe...

FacebookYoutubeTwitterLog in

Subscribe to the Jihad Watch Daily Digest

You will receive a daily mailing containing links to the stories posted at Jihad Watch in the last 24 hours.
Enter your email address to subscribe.

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up!
If you are forwarding to a friend, please remove the unsubscribe buttons first, as they my accidentally click it.

Subscribe to all Jihad Watch posts

You will receive immediate notification.
Enter your email address to subscribe.
Note: This may be up to 15 emails a day.

Donate to JihadWatch
FrontPage Mag

Search Site

Translate

The Team

Robert Spencer in FrontPageMag
Robert Spencer in PJ Media

Articles at Jihad Watch by
Robert Spencer
Hugh Fitzgerald
Christine Douglass-Williams
Andrew Harrod
Jamie Glazov
Daniel Greenfield

Contact Us

Terror Attacks Since 9/11

Archives

  • 2020
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2019
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2018
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2017
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2016
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2015
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2014
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2013
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2012
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2011
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2010
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2009
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2008
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2007
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2006
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2005
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2004
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2003
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • March

All Categories

You Might Like

Learn more about RevenueStripe...

Recent Comments

  • janicevanguilder on New study reveals that Muslim religiosity strongly linked to hatred towards the West
  • Boycott Turkey on Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, France and UAE conduct joint military exercises amid rising Turkish threat
  • Yogi on EU Parliament members call for firing of border agency director for preventing illegal migrants from entering Europe
  • Hoi Polloi on Why so many Muslims can’t wait for Biden to get inaugurated
  • Hoi Polloi on EU Parliament members call for firing of border agency director for preventing illegal migrants from entering Europe

Popular Categories

dhimmitude Sharia Jihad in the U.S ISIS / Islamic State / ISIL Iran Free Speech

Robert Spencer FaceBook Page

Robert Spencer Twitter

Robert Spencer twitter

Robert Spencer YouTube Channel

Books by Robert Spencer

Jihad Watch® is a registered trademark of Robert Spencer in the United States and/or other countries - Site Developed and Managed by Free Speech Defense

Content copyright Jihad Watch, Jihad Watch claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to their respective owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and you do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.

Our mailing address is: David Horowitz Freedom Center, P.O. Box 55089, Sherman Oaks, CA 91499-1964

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.