(ReclaimingAmerica.net) – Hamtramck, Michigan, the only Muslim-majority city in the United States, has banned the Gay Pride flag from being flown on public property.
On Thursday, the city council of Hamtramck, whose members are all Muslims, unanimously approved a resolution to prohibit the LBGT flag during a four-and-half-hour session.
The legislation sponsored by the acting mayor, Muhammad Hassan, additionally bans any other religious, ethnic, racial, political, or sexual orientation group flags from city property, Click on Detroit reports, as cited by Breitbart News.
The resolution allows only the flags of the United States, state and city flags, other nations’ flags, and the Prisoner of War flag.
Hamtramck is a town of about 30,000 people, a suburb of Detroit.
Its ban on the Gay Pride flag was adopted “after three hours of public comments and months of intense debate,” according to The Detroit Free Press.
“Hassan and other members of the council said the LGBTQ+ community and others are welcome in Hamtramck but that they need to respect religious freedom,” the report informs.
“Some proponents of the resolution said the Pride flag clashes with their faith. Several speakers from Dearborn who were leaders in protests last year against LGBTQ books spoke at the Hamtramck meeting, saying American soldiers sacrificed for the U.S. flag, not the Pride flag,” it notes further.
City Councilman Nayeem Choudhury declared that the city of Hamtramck wouldn’t discriminate against LGBT people but was seeking to guarantee respect for the religious freedom of its Muslim community.
“We want to respect the religious rights of our citizens. You guys are welcome… (but) why do you have to have the flag shown on government property to be represented? You’re already represented. We already know who you are… By making this (about) bigotry… it’s making it like you want to hate us,” Choudhury said.
Other city members argued the ban wasn’t about the Gay Pride flag per se since “if you let one flag in, you’ll have to let all of the flags in.”
An immigrant from Yemen spoke before the city council supporting the resolution.
“[While Hamtramck] respect[s] all nations, cultures, and their flags…we only salute the American flag,” he stated.
What is your opinion? Do you agree with this city’s decision? Share your view by emailing [email protected]. Thank you.
