Muslim Majority City Council Elected in Michigan

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Son_of_Niall

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Hamtramck, Mich., has elected what is believed to be the first U.S. city council with a majority of Muslims, as a recent wave of immigrants put its stamp on the longtime Polish enclave.
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“I’m proud to be an American Muslim, but we were elected by everyone in Hamtramck and we’re going to serve everyone,” said Saad Almasmari, a 28-year-old Yemeni-American who was elected to the council by receiving the most votes of the six candidates on the ballot. Mr. Almasmari, who moved to the U.S. in 2009 and became a citizen in 2011, expects to take office in early January.
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wsj.com/articles/muslim-majority-city-council-elected-in-michigan-1447111581
 
Son_of_Niall said:
wsj.com/articles/muslim-majority-city-council-elected-in-michigan-1447111581
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Definitely a melting pot town based on what I’ve read with large populations of Arab-Americans, Bangladeshi Americans, Polish Americans, African Americans, and immigrants from the Balkans. With such a large population from multiple corners of the world where Islam is prominent it’s not surprising the city council would begin to reflect that. I mean this is a town where the Muslim call to prayer is broadcast. Also good to see that despite not being from the majority religion in the town that being Muslim did not dissuade anyone from voting for them with the winners getting significant numbers over the losers.

That said, the council was already 50% Muslim too. The only change was that one open seat went to a new Muslim councilor. Two of the other Muslim’s elected were incumbents. And Incumbents usually have a big leg up in these small local elections where most voters don’t know one person from the other (the fourth Muslim councilor wasn’t up for re-election).

What will really be interesting to me is when the first atheist/agnostic/non-identifying city council is elected. I mean agnostic/a-religion/non-religion is the fastest growing religious category in the US and size wise is now second only to Evangelical Protestant Christianity. But it still seems to be an open hindrance to any candidate who dares to claim to fall into that category.
 
I guess we will wait and see what happens. if they know they are making history, perhaps they will watch their p’s and q’s. the nation will be watching! I pray they will be sucessful.
 
7 Sorrows, I was just thinking the opposite! With a nation (or at least presumably a state) watching, they may actually be emboldened!
 
Or maybe they’ll do the best they can for their community as everyone else would in their position. I don’t know what religion has to do with zoning ordinances and allocations to build sidewalks.
 
I hope that people realize that Hamtramck has a population of less than 25,000.

It’s really not that big of a deal.
 
Kal2012 said:
I hope that people realize that Hamtramck has a population of less than 25,000.

It’s really not that big of a deal.
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I assumed it was a small community. nonetheless, it will be interesting to follow.
 
Kal2012 said:
I hope that people realize that Hamtramck has a population of less than 25,000.

It’s really not that big of a deal.
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Even less of a big deal when you see the vote totals the winners got. The biggest of the vote getters got 1,100 votes in a city of 25,000. They say people don’t vote in non-congressional and non-presidential years and they’re right. Most voters treat them as meaningless elections.
 
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