Noise Concerns in Dearborn, Michigan
In Dearborn, Michigan, residents are urging local officials to take action on noise regulations. Andrea Unger, a long-time resident, has been particularly vocal about the calls to prayer from a nearby mosque, which she says occur several times daily and can last around five minutes. At times, she claims the volume is loud enough to disturb her peace, often waking her up as early as 5:30 AM.
Despite her complaints to the police and city council over the past couple of years, Unger feels that the problem persists. “Our city laws don’t permit annoying sounds for more than five minutes, yet the mosque continues to invade our privacy every day,” she stated. It’s like an intrusion that you just can’t escape.
During a recent city council meeting, Unger presented a petition with 40 signatures from fellow neighbors, calling for stricter enforcement of noise regulations. According to the city’s laws, residential noise is not supposed to exceed 55 decibels during the night and should be kept quiet from 10 PM to 7 AM.
She recorded the call to prayer for a month and found it consistently exceeded 70 decibels. Importantly, she stresses that her concerns aren’t about religious beliefs, but rather about fairness and consistent application of the law.
Unger also expressed that some community members are reluctant to voice their opinions, fearing backlash or being labeled as anti-Muslim. “I’ve heard people say they’re relieved someone is finally speaking up,” she shared. She emphasized, “We’re not against anyone’s faith; we just want to maintain the community’s standards that have existed for years.”
At a recent council meeting, City Council President Mike Salini informally mentioned that police have been looking into the situation and have already identified violations. “It’s not legal, and we don’t support it,” he stated, adding that he’s awaiting a full report from the police chief before taking any further action.
The mosque at the center of Unger’s concerns lists seven daily prayers on social media. Attempts to contact the mosque for comments have been unsuccessful.
Interestingly, another mosque in the area voluntarily reduced its sound levels in response to complaints. Nabir Baharwan, the director of the Dearborn Community Centre, remarked that they value the comfort of their neighbors and took steps to ensure that their prayer calls wouldn’t add to the noise issues until a resolution is found.
Controversy has arisen in the city recently, especially following remarks made by Mayor Abdullah H. Hammoud, who called out a Christian pastor for what he described as “racist” comments during previous exchanges. The city’s Police Department and City Council have not responded to recent inquiries regarding the ongoing issues.
