If this was something happening where I live, then I may well object to the noise pollution effects, but only in the similar manner I would object to a Catholic church playing “Holy Night” over speakers. I would also object to an atheist broadcasting anti-religion music just as much. For me, if this was local, the issue would not be religion at all – the noise pollution would be the only thing.

I agree wholeheartedly with the need to have freedoms of choice in religion as well as other aspects of daily life, and this is the main problem I have with the mainstream (Abrahamic) religions.

Being a resident, I often read blogs where all sorts of supposedly conservative people want to tell Hamtramckans what they should and shouldn’t allow.

They usually repeat horrible things people said during the public debate as opinions of the majority. What they fail to realize that barring a tiny handful, most of the opposition were Anti-Islamic nuts who came up from Ohio for the day. It’s not enough that they live in tolerant places, they want to mislead people into thinking our city is like theirs.

Usually when confronted with fact they retreat into a general anti-Islam position, saying it’s somehow different from other abrahamic faiths. The truth is that they’ve all been rather brutal at times.

I’ve often thought of your idea of “freedom from religion” and I’ve recently come to the conclusion that religious freedom, however misguided the belief system, is sort of a bellwether of a society’s freedom of conscious. While I find personally find proselytizing insulting, as it’s basic assumption that the proselytizer has some kind of truth that the proselytizee does not, I’m willing to put up with it so i can live in a place where people are truly free to do as they please.

I’m willing to afford them that as long as they don’t get bent out of shape when I characterize their beliefs as “magic”. I’m afraid if we don’t allow them to push theology, there will be a taboo against criticizing, which I find unacceptable.

I have heard the call to prayer numerous times, as I said previously I currently have it as the alarm tone on my phone. I think it is a lovely, if haunting, call.

I am not sure what the comment about “religious tolerance” being “just dogma” to people here means – the issue which initiated this post is the apparent lack of tolerance which is evinced by allowing one religion to impress it’s music and calls on the public, but trying to prevent another religion doing the same.

There is (IMHO of course) a completely different issue regarding freedom of religion which allows that freedom to impinge on others, but I wont go into it here.

While out shoveling snow, I frequently hear the recorded bells of “Holy Night” and other Christmas hymns playing from Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church. If “Holy Night” isn’t a testament of faith, I don’t know what is.

The Adhan, which is performed live via microphone, isn’t obnoxious as some might lead you to believe. I’ve heard it referred to on the “conservative” bloggers parrot sites as a “shrill call”, which is inaccurate. I highly doubt any of these folks have ever set foot in Hamtramck. It’s a few lines sung by a man at the mosque.

The principals of Religious tolerance might be just dogma to some commenters here, but the vast majority of Hamtramckans believe in freedom of religion and our right to express that freedom.

Ban religious sounds in your own town, we, for the most part, like ours the way it is.

See you at the Hamtramck Blowout: http://metrotimes.com/blowout

However, they can drive you demented when you cant hear yourself think. (Living close to two cathedrals has that effect on some notable religious festivals)

While I think it is in the same category as Church Bells, I suspect we have a more “ingrained tolerance” of them because of the imagery it conjures up. (Sedate Sunday mornings in quite villages with big greens etc.)

There is no limit to the anti-Muslim hysteria, I would say of Americans, but Europe can throw up a few dozen examples. It’s odd that these extremist Christians who don’t even know who their deity is can see a few street cries taking over from their religion.