Hamtramck first American city to elect Muslim majority council

According to Taqbeem, there are an estimated 20,000 Bangladeshi-Americans between in Hamtramck and Detroit, and 40,000 statewide.

At the time, opponents were angered by what they sawas an intrusion of Islamic practice onto apublic space. In 2004, Hamtramck garnered heavy attention when the city council allowed a mosque to broadcast its call to prayer from loudspeakers.

It was a historic moment Tuesday, but followed by a controversial comment that may create or widen the rift between the growing Muslim and shrinking Polish community in Hamtramck.

All three council members say they will represent all of the residents of Hamtramck, with the goal of making the city better for all.

Hamtramck was settled by Germans when it was founded two centuries ago and was later flooded by Polish-Catholic immigrants, but the Muslim population has exploded due to immigration, according to Professor Sally Howell of the University of Michigan-Dearmorn.

The council in nearby Dearborn has an Arab-American majority but not all are Muslim. But being the first Muslim majority city council, there will be great interest to see how the town is governed.

The growth is taking place in these Muslim communities, and they are transforming the city scape, Howell said.

Once a Polish stronghold, the city of Hamtramck, Mich., has become home to immigrants from across the world. Now the town is made up of Asian and Arab immigrants to especially with most being from the countries of Yemen, Bangladesh and Bosnia.

Polish Catholics made up a stunning 90 percent of residents there in the 1970s, showcasing just how stark the change has been. They join Bangladeshi member Mohammed Hassan.

Getting to a Muslim majority wasn’t easy. In the last decade, a group harassed Muslim candidates, associating at least one candidatewith terrorism, and election workers haveasked to see proof of citizenship from Bangladeshis who showed up at the polls.

Saad Almasmari, a Yemeni American, received the most votes of the six candidates on the ballot. Its become much more visible in the last 15 years.

“Although we are Muslims, it doesn’t have anything to do with serving the community”, Almasmari said.

At the end of the day for Hamtramck, he said, it’s not about religious unity. “It’s not about religion”. We are planning to work for everyone.