Dearborn Mayor Addresses Prayer Call Complaints

The Muslim mayor of Dearborn, Michigan, has downplayed noise complaints regarding the call to prayer at his mosque, viewing it as a non-issue.

Mayor Abdullah Hammoud discussed the complaints on the podcast “Not From Here.” Some residents are uneasy about the mosque’s loudspeaker that broadcasts the prayer call several times a day, a concern that has lingered for months.

According to reports, the Islamic Knowledge Institute on Schaefer Street plays the call to prayer for about two minutes, twice daily. This practice is common among many mosques in the area, and it has begun to cause unease among some locals.

One resident, Andrea Unger, expressed her frustration, stating, “Your religious freedom does not allow you to force me to listen to your prayers in my garden or in my home.” After living in Dearborn for decades, she noted that she recorded the call to prayer for thirty consecutive days, consistently measuring above 70 decibels. Despite reporting it to the police and city council, the issue remains unresolved. Unger mentioned that this isn’t limited to just one mosque; other institutions, like the Islamic Center of America, are also involved.

Reports indicate that using loudspeakers is prohibited between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Nonetheless, Mayor Hammoud doesn’t view this as a significant problem. “I think those who are complaining represent a very small minority,” he said. While he acknowledges the need to consider concerns, he emphasized that they’ve measured the decibel levels at the mosques and found them within legal limits. “For me, that doesn’t matter,” he stated, underlining the importance of protecting constitutional religious rights.

He also pondered, “Why are complaints like this being raised now?” However, Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin mentioned at an October City Council meeting that he would start issuing citations to mosques that don’t adhere to the specified times and decibel regulations.