Will you wake up to Islamic prayer call?

worldnetdaily.com ^ | April 15, 2004 | worldnetdaily.com

[ovrtaxt]

A holy war of sorts is heating up in a Detroit suburb, where members of the local Muslim community want loudspeakers on mosques to announce the Islamic call to prayer five times each day.

But the idea is running into opposition from other residents of Hamtramck, Mich., many of whom are Christian, who think the prayer calls as early as 6 a.m. and as late as 10 p.m. would be disruptive.

"When you call to prayer, you are proselytizing, and as a citizen of the United States I don't want to hear it," Bob Golen, 68, told the Detroit Free Press.

"It is not my God. My God is Jesus Christ," Caroline Zarski, 81, said. "I don't want this noise invading my home at 10 p.m."

The Al-Islah Islamic Center asked the city three months ago to alter its noise ordinance to allow the calls to prayer. In February, the council reportedly supported the change but sought a public hearing before making any change.

"We don't want to make it a big deal," said businessman Abdul Algazali, according to the Free Press. "It's a low-pitched voice. It's not going to wake up anybody."

City Council President Karen Majewski compared the call to prayer to bells ringing on Christian churches, though other residents were said to disagree at Tuesday's meeting.

Majewski says the loudspeaker measure is likely to pass at next week's meeting, and would subsequently take effect in late May.

"Petitions have circulated among mainly white and Christian members of the community for weeks asking the council not to amend the ordinance," said Councilman Scott Klein. "Both sides have issued threats of federal lawsuits based on the constitutionality of the ban or the removal of the ban."

There are five mosques in Hamtramck, and three others just over the border in Detroit.

On its website, the city says it provides "A Touch of THE WORLD In America," touting itself as "the home of the most varied ethnic mix of people and customs from around the world."

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[LisaMalia]

Since teachers are being made to stay after hours to be lectured by a female Muslim rep about how to cater to the Muslim students' needs, nothing surprises me. This actually happened last week at a highschool in Ohio. I know, because a close relative of mine had to sit through it.

It's all about conforming to THEIR ways, you know.

[netmilsmom]

It's a huge Polish community.
Some nice Kielbasa would do the trick.

And honestly, I think this is all a ploy to get the last of the Poles out of Hamtramck. It has really gone downhill in the past few years. As I stated on another thread, my girls Polish dance and we go to Hamtramick twice a year. Both churches are gated and around them looks like a warzone. It's very sad to drive through the neighborhood and see the little old Polish ladies sweeping the streets, while the house next door is falling apart.

[bonfire]

Why not use the church bells for the Muslims too. Let those church bells ring every hour and the Muslims can look at thier watches to figure out which hours coincide.

soooo simple.

[fortunecookie]

I agree - the ACLU is chomping at the bit on this one - waiting to help get the call to prayer in place, and in the event that fails (or concurrently), eagerly working to stop church bells. So sad.

'The Angelus' is a beautiful painting. It is evocative of beautiful tradition of the Angelus, prayed 3 times daily, reminded by Church bells, and sadly absent in our country.

[Modernman]

Then move. SO long as they don't violate the noise ordinance they have the right to call to prayer. Just as the church has the right to ring bells.

That's true, but if the calls to prayer did not violate the local noise ordinance then they wouldn't be asking for this:

The Al-Islah Islamic Center asked the city three months ago to alter its noise ordinance to allow the calls to prayer

[fortunecookie]

And I've been to Saudi Arabia and I've heard the cat wallering. It's not something you sleep thru.

Grin. It's also depicted as loud, tinny and wailing in many movies, notably "Not Without My Daughter".

I live in a neighborhood about 3/4 of a mile and one mile from 2 popular baseball fields and also about a mile from 3 churches. There is quite a difference between the church bells ringing (during daytime hours only) and the evening loudspeaker calling of the ballgames (and occasional early sat am makeup games).

[BraveMan]

Matthew 6:6-8

[CSM]

"Actually someone suggested a pig roast on the sidewalk. With strippers."

Make sure I get an invitiation!

Seriesly, I saw this in the local coverage and they referenced Dearborn as a town that already allows this. I was STUNNED because I have never heard it. I can say that, when the power outage occured last August, the loud speaker system used for the communications from officials was loud and clear. If these loudspeakers were used for the "call to prayer" it would be miserable!

[nina0113]

Also, I'm not sure you have to get to the mosque when you hear it, I think it's ok to point toward Mecca and drop and stick your butt in the air, face on the floor.

You actually don't even have to hear it - an engineer I used to work with kept a tiny little prayer rug in his cubicle, and he knew perfectly well when the prayer times were. If he was in the office, he'd knock off for a few minutes & pray. It forced me to keep my desk fairly clean, since he faced in that direction - no one should have to look at a sty when they're praying.

[CSM]

"Then move. SO long as they don't violate the noise ordinance they have the right to call to prayer."

That is the point. They are asking for a change in the current ordinance to allow for this, otherwise it would be deemed a nuisance and ticketed. The current residents have every right to speak out against a change in the ordinance.

If they change it, and if I were a resident, my stereo would start blasting at all times........

[nina0113]

If they change it, and if I were a resident, my stereo would start blasting at all times........

Handel's Messiah and Beethoven's Ninth. That's what I used to zap the rap-blasters who used to live two doors down. I won.

[DTA]

>>>>Handel's Messiah and Beethoven's Ninth. That's what I used to zap the rap-blasters who used to live two doors down. I won.<<<<<

"Dance of the Walkyre" (movie version) would be more appropriate in this case.

[PresbyRev]

If the muslims are allowed to violate the consciences and privacy of the area's non-muslim Citizens - perhaps five minutes or so after the Islamic call to prayer, all the church bells in the area could peal simultaneously?

If muslims are allowed to begin practicing public calls to prayer while Christian churches are disallowed and forbidden to chime the hours we have passed a real line in the sand.

[AppyPappy]

Ultimately there's no rational reason for church bells either.

That's why they shouldn't be sounding off at 6AM or 10PM.

[Gritty]

This is shot #1 from within. And I'm not being over the top either.

Of all the replies on this thread, this comment is #1 for prophetic accuracy. And I'm not being over the top, either.

(notice my tag-line)

[joan]

Do you have any before and after pictures of Hamtramck to post?

[Jeremiah Jr]

The words "flee Babylon" come to mind...

Here we are...in the land of Gog, er, George... in the middle of the week (shemita cycle)... In the middle of the Torah (Parshat Shemini, large Vav in the center of the Torah. Lev. 11:42, belly Gimel, Chet, Vav, Nun)...

Well, it is the year of the monkey.

Oy!

[Dajjal]

Do you have any before and after pictures of Hamtramck to post?

http://www.angelfire.com/de2/detroitpix/Hamtramck.html
Hamtramck Pix