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."
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. .....
I don't think they had loudspeakers in the days of their founder........
Just like they did 1,400 years ago....
Somebody should put up a loudspeaker opposite the mosque, and every time the muezzin broadcasts the call to prayer, they should blast back Frankie Yankovic playing the Beer Barrel Polka.
great minds ...
I will just say "This won't happen in my City"
A Call to prayer or a Call to Kill your sister, mother or any other female relative
Maybe next they will want to slaughter an animal in the street or maybe another Muslim, I mean it's religious freedom ISLAM...
There is an option here. If I were a Hamtramck resident i would by a bullhorn or a bell (maybe both). When the call to prayer begins I would consider it a call to make noise....lots of noise. A few thousand residents doing the same could drown out the daily caterwalling.
I would recommend "Onward, Christian soldiers".
I was thinking more along the lines of megadeth or metallica but hey, whatever floats your boat.
I was thinking of something indigenous to Hamtramck.
How quickly they learn how to play the game.
But that wouldn't be "sensitive" or "tolerant"...
Oh yes they learned would they dare call someone a racist in there Muslim Land? I think not...Muslims must think were pretty easy prey...
I would like to know Muslims that try to blow up everybody that isn't a Muslim say "Allah Akbar" GOD is great' how do we know that when they broadcast that message over a loud speaker that is not a signal for a suicide bomber or Islamic Terrorist?
"How quickly they learn how to play the game."
I believe the quran tells them to "play the game" right up untill they rise up in conquest.
So does this mean that All Christian Church's in America now get to read the bible to the town 5 times a day at 110 db?
Just think, a Chapter a day, five times a day every day, seven days a week. Most Mosques you can hear easily a half a mile away.
Why you could hear the Lords Prayer or the Ten Commandments every day of the week!!!
Or is freedom in the name of rude only valid when the very same thing is done in Arabic not english?
Bullshirt, It is called a watch son...
Get rid of the Church bells and the calls to prayer. Both of them irritate me.
Out of respect for our soldiers that are dying in the name of ISLAM why the heck do we have to have a Mosque calling out to prayer in the USA 5 times a day? I don't get it?
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