Saqib Ul Islam, Urdu VOA News, Hamtramck.MI
The Call to Prayer is a centuries' old tradition in Islam. A prayer is recited five times a day to invite Muslims to pray. It is often broadcast by loud speaker in predominantly Muslim countries, but seldom broadcast in the United States. However, this Islamic tradition created a controversy in Hamtramck, MI where Call to Prayer bill was presented in the city council and it became a law in 2004. Many Hamtramck residents strongly object to the Call to Prayer. While Hamtramck Muslims argue that the call to prayer is equivalent to church bells. In this report Saqib Ul Islam talks to the Hamtramck councilman Shahb Ahmad , who presented this bill and also the city manager William cooper, who describes his experience of working with Muslims in a city with 40 percent Muslim Population.