[Ronly Bonly Jones]

"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.
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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. On the flip side, the law they use against Muslims today will be used against Catholics tomorrow.

Speech is free only so long as it is tolerated, no matter how unpopular it is. Otherwise the First Amendment is a lie.

[livius]

There's a difference between a bell and a verbal summons - the latter would be like a Catholic church broadcasting the Angelus at certain times of the day, and I'm sure this would not be permitted.

BTW, bells are not allowed in many places already, for "noise" reasons. My church in SF had to stop ringing them (at 10:00 am!) when the yuppies who had moved into the neighborhood complained that it was ruining their beauty sleep.

[ClearCase_guy]

Speech is free only so long as it is tolerated, no matter how unpopular it is. Otherwise the First Amendment is a lie.

Of course that is true. But then, why can't a public school teacher say a prayer in class? It's free exercise of her religion, right? And a southern judge with a budget for sculture -- why can't he commission a statue of the Ten Commandents?

Perhaps you support all these things (I do) -- but be aware that elements in our society are working hard to ensure that Christians do not have the right to exercise their religious freedom. But Muslims should have that right. It's a pretty despicable double standard.

[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

[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........