Posted on 06/03/2004 3:25:50 PM PDT by missyme
HAMTRAMCK, Michigan -- Hamtramck, Michigan is a blue-collar town surrounded by the city of Detroit. Its downtown storefronts reflect the diversity of immigrants who settled here. But an influx of immigrants from the Middle East has transformed Hamtramck from a melting pot into a political powder keg. New Muslim residents are adopting American habits, driving SUVs and talking on cell phones. But many still cling to old customs, wearing traditional dress, and shopping at markets that sell "halal," or meat slaughtered according to Islamic law. Now one Bangladeshi mosque wants to revive a controversial ritual.
The Islamic call to prayer is a 1,400-year-old tradition, sung in most U.S. mosques within the walls. But the Al Islah Islamic Center says they should be able to broadcast over public loudspeakers in Arabic, five times a day, from 6am to 10pm.
The call to prayer states, "Allah is great…Mohammed is Allah's prophet…come to prayer. There is no god but Allah."
Mosque president Ahmed Motlib asked the city's permission to broadcast from rooftop loudspeakers. Motlib says, "Some people, they don't know what time is our congregation, only for congregation coming and participating. That's why we want to call prayer outside."
But the request has split the community. Hundreds signed a petition to block the broadcasts as a public annoyance.
Hamtramck resident Jerry Radziszewski says, "To me, this is disturbing the peace. They understand what it is. We don't. To us it's just a bunch of noise."
Mosque supporters say the Azan can already be heard from mosques in nearby Detroit No different, they say, from Christian church bells.
Motlib comments, "Azan is only two minutes, less than two minutes is noise. Every hour church bell, more than five minutes their bell make belling. So we don't feel anything bad."
Bob Zwollack is a former city clerk who led the petition drive. He says it is an issue of noise.
"Even if they got up on their towers and did it like they did 1,400 years ago," says Zwollack, "where you just had a call to prayer like before, there's not a problem. Who's going to object to that? Yes, they have a right to free speech, but the overall objection was an amplified sound, amplified religious statement."
But the dispute has escalated into a national controversy over religious freedom. The press converged on heated city council meetings, which exploded with calls for tolerance and charges of discrimination.
Hafiz Mohammed of the Islamic Association of Michigan, says, "Those people who are opposing Azan, our position is not a new phenomenon. They are racist! "
Council member Scott Klein says, "The folks I've seen leading this have nothing on the boys from Montgomery, the boys from Birmingham, the boys from Mississippi."
Hamtramck resident Bob Golen protests, "I am not a racist! My wife is not a racist."
Joanna and Bob Golen are life-long residents of this neighborhood, now largely owned by Bangladeshi newcomers. The Golens say they have been demonized for signing the petition.
Bob Golen says, "I don't tell them to believe in Jesus, I don't want them to tell me to believe in Mohommed. The call to prayer is fine, but don't evangelize me where I can't turn you off five times a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. They're going to tell me their god is the only true god? I don't have to listen to that."
The Golens say the mosque is forcing a foreign religion right onto their front porch, proselytizing on public airwaves.
Joanne Golen says, "Why is it wrong for them to practice their religion the way they want to? They can do it any way they want in their mosque, like we do in our churches, in their homes, like we do. I can even sit on my porch and pray silently. I'm all for them practicing their religion, but I do not want to hear over loudspeakers their god being praised in my ears five times a day."
Psycological warfare is a two way street.. the infidels have develped Psy-ops much in 1426 years the muzzies hav'nt.. Lst them try it.. or even merely qiote some of the more nutzy suras of the Qu'ran durning the call to worship.
Like these:
Mohammed referred to Blacks as "Pugnosed Raisin Heads". (Sahih Al Bukhary vol. 1, no. 662 and vol. 9, no. 256)
(Sahih Al-Bukhari Volume 4, Book 54, Number 516) Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "If anyone of you rouses from sleep and performs the ablution, he should wash his nose by putting water in it and then blowing it out thrice, because Satan has stayed in the upper part of his nose all the night."
The majority of people in hell are women. Mohammed said, "I was shown the Hell-fire and that the majority of its dwellers are women. " SURAH..Vol. 1:28, 301; & Vol. 2:161; & Vol. 7:124
A Muslim must not be killed if he kills a non-Muslim. Mohammed said, " No Muslim should be killed for killing a Kafir {non-believer}". Sura Vol. 9:50
Apostasy(leaving Islam) is punishable by death. Mohammed said, "Whoever changes his Islamic religion, kill him." Surah Vol. 9:57
If the sound penetrates the barriers of private property, it is governable by noise ordinance.
we may have freedom of religion, but MY freedom ENDS at YOUR property line.
Only so many decibels are allowed in certain areas.
issue one.. then is the sound level... too loud, has gotta be conviscated and treated as a public nuisance.
second issue?
Islam is not always a religion but a political governance party, with theocratic tenets and commandments that MUST be followed... and as such it CAN be classified as an illegal organization masquerading as a religion, when truly Islam is an enemy of the State.
This stuff has got to be dealt with via the broad brush and in such a way as to generated revulsion and expulsion of the death / murder cult, taking root all over the planet.
It's not a religion if it promotes our overthrow.
It's not "freedom of speech" if the decibels are high enough that folks cannot block them by closing a window or turning on a boom box.
Satan just loves hearing that. He co-opted Mohammad to call him that out there in Mecca and it's been bellered out of the mouths of the the Islamo-nazis ever since... Like the cry from hell. Kind of reminds us of Heil Hitler doesn't it? Same Satan, different time is all.
They have ethnically cleansed Kosovo turning a population 90% Serb after WWII to 90% Albanian.
Which it was in 1913 when the Serbs stole it and began to colonize it.
Kosovo is not the Serbian Jerusalem, it's the Serbian Algeria.
PS. It was never more than 45% Serb at all, and that only because the Serb government stole Albanian farms and gave them to Serb military veterans as pension-equivalents.
Just as One-eyed cleric Abu Hamza al Masri said: "Jihad, in general, is striving for [the] sake of God to establish his law…on earth, and the backbone of his law is fighting. So every fighting cause of God is Jihad. What are [the] consequences for infidels? If you live in my property, and you don't pay me my rent, then you get out and Jihad is to get you out. This is the property of God. You don't worship him, you get out and how [do] you get out? You get killed."
That about sums up their plan for the U.S. just as it their plan for Europe and the world. I almost wish they would start something else here so that we would run them all out. Sort of a revolution to take back our country... However, if John Kerry is elected, he will turn the U.S. over to the UN and dismantle our military...and perhaps take away our guns with which to defend ourselves...
I almost wish they would start something else here so that we would run them all out.>>>
"When fascism comes to America, it will call itself Americanism."
The whole purpose in Islam being here is to eventually --- as soon as they can --- overthrow the Constitution and replace it with Sharia law.
The Serbs went to Albania and stole their farms?
The Koran instructs them not to live among the infidels except to take over the lands of the infidels --- you're right, their only purpose in being here is to conquer our country and place us under their own form of government. If they didn't believe this they wouldn't be muslims.
Oh, I'm just devastated by your honed repartee, little one.
I think I may agree with you, but I was just wondering, is there a sentence in there?
LOL! Church bells irritate you? Sensitive ears, eh?
So you have a soft spot for Muslims?
So you have a soft spot for Muslims?>>
Insofar as they happen to be fellow human beings--yer damn' tootin. 99.9% of Muslims don't want anything to do with killing you or me.
You don't really believe that Muslims should have as much right to practice their religion in this country as Christians and Jews, do you?
I thought most of them came here to run 7-11s or engineering shops while their kids went to school. Kinda like your grandparents.
You don't really believe that Muslims should have as much right to practice their religion in this country as Christians and Jews, do you?>>>
Yes, I do. Of course I do.
Because as a Cath-o-lick (the three syllables are essential) I know that I'm #3 on the push-down list for the Klansmen and their spiritual ilk to wipe off the face of the Earth. (We used to be #2, but the Muslims got bumped to the #1 position from #3 after 9/11.)
They went to Kosovo, took a chunk of land from the Turks, and tried to drive the native population off the land and replace them with pure-blooded Ary--I mean "real Serbs."
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.