Dearborn Mayor Dismisses Noise Complaints About Mosque’s Loudspeaker Prayers

In what many see as yet another example of political correctness overriding common sense, Dearborn, Michigan’s Democrat Mayor Abdullah Hammoud brushed off growing concerns from residents about loud mosque prayer calls blaring over loudspeakers sometimes as early as 5:30 in the morning.

Appearing on the “Not From Here” podcast, Hammoud claimed the Islamic call to prayer is “not an issue” and argued it has been “happening since the 1970s.” But many longtime residents say something has changed and it’s making life in Dearborn unbearable for those who simply want peace and quiet in their own homes.

The controversy stems from complaints about one mosque in particular, which locals say has been blasting the adhan the Muslim call to prayer multiple times a day, well above legal noise limits.

“We just want to live in the community that it’s always been,” said Andrea Unger, a Dearborn resident of 40 years, who recorded the call to prayer for 30 consecutive days and documented sound levels exceeding 70 decibels well beyond what’s allowed by city ordinance.

City laws clearly state that noise in residential zones cannot exceed 60 decibels during the day and 55 decibels at night, with loudspeaker use banned between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Yet when residents brought the issue before city council in September, they were met with political indifference.

Rather than take complaints seriously, Hammoud compared the loud prayer calls to church bells a false equivalency, according to many locals. Church bells are typically brief and infrequent. The Islamic call to prayer, on the other hand, can last for several minutes and occur up to five times per day, with some of the earliest calls well before sunrise.

Here’s what’s really happening in Dearborn:

• Residents are reporting daily noise disturbances, but are being ignored or silenced for fear of being labeled “Islamophobic.”

• The mayor dismisses enforcement of noise ordinances when it comes to religious expression but only for one group.

• Locals, including Christian ministers, have been publicly shamed by city leadership simply for asking for equal application of the law.

This isn’t about religion it’s about fairness, law, and the right of every citizen to live without being bombarded by amplified sound at all hours. The unwillingness to enforce basic quality-of-life standards for all residents signals a growing double standard in cities like Dearborn, where cultural sensitivities are increasingly used as a shield for selective law enforcement.

If blasting a loudspeaker at 5:30 a.m. from a business or private residence would get someone cited, why is it okay for a mosque? And why are those who raise the question treated like pariahs?

This is what happens when weak leadership bows to political correctness instead of standing up for the entire community regardless of faith, background, or heritage.

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