Civic Engagement by an Historic City Counci

by Saeed Khan

Hamtramck is not only one of the most ethnically diverse parts of the Metro Detroit area; it is arguably one of the most diverse cities in the United States on a per capita basis. With a population of roughly 22,000, Hamtramck has attained a reputation of being a thriving immigrant destination since it was a thriving Polish enclave for decades. Today, there are new waves of Eastern Europeans, including Bosnians and Ukrainians, along with large African-American, Yemeni and Bangladeshi communities. In fact, Hamtramck is home to Banglatown, a neighborhood that reflects the cultural vibrancy of the area.

The city of Hamtramck can now lay claim to new recognition. Last month, it inaugurated the country’s first, and only, all-Muslim city council. Led by Yemeni-American Amer Ghalib, the first non-Polish-American mayor in the city’s history, the new City Council is comprised of Yemeni and Bangladeshi immigrants, including Adam Albarmaki, Khalil Refai, Mohammed Alsomiri, Nayeem Choudhury and Mohammed Hassan, as well as Amanda Jaczkowski, an American-born convert to Islam whose Polish family migrated to the area in the 1800s.

In keeping with the precedent-setting nature of its achievement, the Hamtramck City Council also took action to add its voice to a political climate that has become shockingly toxic of late, especially with so many politicians targeting vulnerable minority communities for sport, as well as financial and electoral gain. On the eve of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which is held on January 27, the City Council passed a resolution condemning antisemitism. With the rise of Islamophobia and anti-Jewish hatred in the United States and worldwide, this resolution demonstrated a show of solidarity by an all-Muslim city council with their Jewish brethren that antisemitism is not welcome and will not be tolerated in Hamtramck.

The local Jewish community expressed its gratitude at the City Council’s gesture, with Rabbi Asher Lopatin. Executive Director of the Detroit chapter of the Jewish Community Relations Council/American Jewish Committee (JCRC/AJC) paying the Council a visit in Hamtramck to give thanks personally for the Council’s enactment, noting with appreciation that while oftentimes, Jewish organizations make such requests for resolutions from government entities, Hamtramck was proactive in issuing the resolution without prompt or obligation.