In a Detroit suburb, members of the local Muslim community want loudspeakers on mosques to announce the Islamic call to prayer five times each day. That's 35 times a week. Church bells for Christians ring once a week. Once. A Week.
Fortunately, 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,"
"It is not my God. My God is Jesus Christ,"
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.
Folks, I thought this was the United States of America, not the United States of Islam.
"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.
Folks, if you can't display the Ten Commandments, then you can't air an Islamic prayer call. Unh-unh. Public airwaves, folks. If the calls don't tell time, then the Muslims can't do it 35 times a week. If a church does it once a week, then mosques can do it Friday nites, once a week. Period.
May the one and only G-d Almighty help us.
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