Muslim-Majority Town Takes Stand Against The LGBTQ+ Agenda

Hamtramck, Michigan City Council, the only Muslim-majority town in the United States, voted unanimously Tuesday to ban “Pride” flags from being flown on public property.

The resolution, called a “Resolution to Maintain and Confirm the Neutrality Of the City of Hamtramck Towards Its Residents,” also bans “religious, ethnic, racial and political flags.”

Many residents packed City Hall to applaud the resolution.

United States' only Muslim-majority town BANS Pride flags on public propertyhttps://t.co/sEJLTtAIRU

— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) June 14, 2023

The resolution only allows five flags to be flown on city property.

The Detroit News explained:

The proposal called for the ban of all but five flags from being flown on city properties — including the American flag, the state of Michigan flag, the Hamtramck flag and the Prisoner of War flag. The fifth one is known as the nations’ flag, one that represents the countries from which the city’s immigrant residents hail and reflects the community’s international character.

Ultimately, the council said the decision was not about discriminating but heeding the city’s 2013 resolution about reflecting “the international character of the city.”

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“We’re just trying to implement the previous practice. Nothing new,” Mayor Amer Ghalib said before the unanimous vote, which came just before the meeting reached the four-hour mark.

He and the council members stressed residents can still fly pride flags on their own property.

“On your property you can do what you want to do,” Councilman Khalil Refai said.

Detroit Free Press staff writer Niraj Warikoo reported on the Hamtramck City Council meeting in this Twitter thread:

First public speaker to talk about resolution banning LGBTQ flags on city property is Luqman Saleh, of Hamtramck. He supports the resolution, saying people have "personal freedom" in "private places," but not to use public government spaces for views that hinder other freedoms.

— Niraj Warikoo (@nwarikoo) June 13, 2023

Several speakers from Dearborn are here speaking, including Hassan Aoun, one of the key leaders of the mob that shut down the Dearborn School board meeting last year in October protesting LGBTQ books. They are saying, we support only the American flag, not Pride or other flags.

— Niraj Warikoo (@nwarikoo) June 13, 2023

Nagi Almudhegi, of Dearborn, supports the resolution to ban LGBTQ flags from city property: American soldiers gave their lives in places like Iwo Jima for the American flag, not the LGBTQ Pride flag: "Those soldiers fought under the American flag, and no other."

— Niraj Warikoo (@nwarikoo) June 13, 2023

There are also some pro-LGBTQ speakers here. Darren Shelton, executive director of Planet Ant Theatre in Hamtramck: This resolution is a "thinly veiled attack on one flag."
The "LGBTQ community is the life blood of our organization…I don't think sexuality is a political issue."

— Niraj Warikoo (@nwarikoo) June 14, 2023

A man who opposes the resolution said he grew up in Hamtramck, recalls being friends with Muslims. He said he recalled them facing discrimination when moving to Hamtramck. Now, you (Muslim city council members) "are acting like the same bigoted people" who were racist to you.

— Niraj Warikoo (@nwarikoo) June 14, 2023

Mike Hachem, an activist in Dearborn, supports the banning of Pride flags on city property: "There should be no other flag" besides the American flag. The Pride "colorful flag…means nothing to us." It's "a disgrace to the people who lost their lives for this country in wars."

— Niraj Warikoo (@nwarikoo) June 14, 2023

The council took a break and is now back in session.
City Clerk continues to read emailed comments, most of them against the resolution. They said this will hurt investment in Hamtramck & embarrass it nationally, making it seem backwards: "Hamtramck will be viewed as oppressive"

— Niraj Warikoo (@nwarikoo) June 14, 2023

Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib is now talking: I'm not against LGBTQ. This resolution does not target only one group. "I never fired anyone in the LGBTQ" community, Ghalib said. If Muslims want to raise an Islamic flag on city property, this resolution also opposes it, he said.

— Niraj Warikoo (@nwarikoo) June 14, 2023

Hamtramck Mayor Pro Tem Mohammed Hassan, who introduced the resolution, now speaking. He rips into critics. "You guys are the ones making problems. … Don't threaten us. I'm the elected official." He then quotes from Lincoln's Gettysburg Address about govt being "of the people."

— Niraj Warikoo (@nwarikoo) June 14, 2023

ALERT: The city of Hamtramck, Michigan, has just banned the display of LGBTQ & racist/political flags from city property. City Council voted unanimously to approve resolution after 3 hours of public comments. The all-Muslim council said their religious rights should be respected.

— Niraj Warikoo (@nwarikoo) June 14, 2023

Hamtramck council bans LGBTQ flags from city property after months of intense debate https://t.co/82UfNimdxR

— Niraj Warikoo (@nwarikoo) June 14, 2023

The Post Millennial reports:

Hassan argued that allowing Pride flags to be flown on public property could lead down a slippery slope that ends with white supremacist and neo-Naxi groups asking for the same opportunity.

“The city does not want to open the door for radical or racist groups to ask for their flags to be flown,” he wrote.

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During the hours of debate that took place at City Hall prior to the vote on Tuesday, many Muslim residents and elected officials explained that the resolution was not motivated by hate.

Noting that a large number of his boards and commissions were made up of members of the LGBTQ community or allies, Mayor Amer Ghalib stated that his government’s goal was to “serve everybody equally with no discrimination, but without favoritism.”

WATCH:

Read the full resolution:

WHEREAS, the City of Hamtramck is one of the most diverse cities in the United States, in which
we should proudly promote and embrace its diversity; and

WHEREAS, the City must and will serve and treat its residents equally, with no discrimination, or
special treatment to any group of people; and

WHEREAS, the City has authorized in the past, the Human Relations Commission to install nations
flags on the City flagpoles to represent the international character of the City, Resolution 2013-
102: and

WHEREAS, each religious, ethnic, racial, political, or sexually oriented group is already
represented by the country it belongs to; and

WHEREAS, the City does not want to open the door for radical or racist groups to ask for their
flags to be flown; and

WHEREAS, this resolution does not in any way, shape or form infringe upon the fundamental right
of an individual or business in the City of Hamtramck to engage free speech. Nor does this
resolution limit speech by public employees provided that such employees engage in such speech
in a protected time, manner and place.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Hamtramck, Wayne County,
Michigan, that the government of the City of Hamtramck does not allow any religious, ethnic,
racial, political, or sexual orientation group flags to be flown on the City’s public properties, and
that only, the American flag, the flag of the State of Michigan, the Hamtramck Flag, the Prisoner
of War flag and the nations’ flags that represent the international character of our City shall be flown.

PASSED AND APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HAMTRAMCK, WAYNE
COUNTY, MICHIGAN THIS 13th DAY OF JUNE 2023.

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