U.S. Town Elects Majority-Muslim City Council… Guess The 1st Thing They Did
Hamtramck, Michigan, known as the first city in the United States with a majority Muslim population, serves as an example of what life could be like in other cities that take the same path — and it has many justifiably worried.
Hamtramck, formerly known for its primarily Polish population, has experienced unsettling changes due to its rapidly growing Muslim population, which led to Muslims being elected to the local government.
In the most recent election, Saad Almasmari, a 28-year-old man from Yemen, became the fourth Muslim elected to the six-member city council, according to the The Washington Post.
Almasmari doesn’t understand the fear some non-Muslim residents feel, but changes in the community might justify those fears.
One such change occured in 2004 when the city council permitted the al-Islah Islamic Center to blast a call to prayer five times a day. The mosque recently purchased a neighboring vacant building and planned to put a spire on it to continue the calls to prayer.
Now, the council has implemented legislation that prohibits business owners within 500 feet of any of the four mosques in the city from obtaining a liquor license. Many residents believe this action could stymie efforts to build an entertainment hub in the downtown area — a project that could boost the community’s fledgling economy.
For some residents, like Mike Bugaj, these changes are alarming. He’s concerned that old traditions could be wiped away and worried “about what they would want to change, that they could mistreat women.”
Don’t come over to America and try to turn people to your way of thinking,” he warned.
While the changes might seem minor to those not living in Hamtramck, residents are rightfully concerned because they could be a clear indication of other changes that they believe could be coming down the pike.
H/T Mad World News
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