West Bloomfield residents Opposing planned Islamic Center!

**Danny** · August-15-12, 08:32 AM

According to WDIV 4 News . Residents jam pack West Bloomfield Township Hall for a Town Hall Meeting to discuss having a Islamic Center in a former public school building.

Here's the source.

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/n...z/-/index.html

Since West Bloomfield TWP. is mostly an Orthodox Jewish community, Would a proposed Islamic Center bring relations to both Muslims and Jews or will it promote a cultural clash just like the proposed mosque near New York City's Ground Zero area.

Any thoughts?

**Scottathew** · August-15-12, 08:47 AM

Xenophobia, intolerance, and the blocking of religious freedoms at its best!

**rb336** · August-15-12, 09:08 AM

If this was a church or temple, there would be no controversy at all. pure stupidity and hatred

**Wesley Mouch** · August-15-12, 09:17 AM

Intolerance of peaceful other is sad.

**j to the jeremy** · August-15-12, 09:54 AM

Originally Posted by 48091

Xenophobia, intolerance, and the blocking of religious freedoms at its best!

A few things michigan actually does well!!

so sad...

**Detroitej72** · August-15-12, 11:56 AM

What a bunch of bigots.

**Detroitnerd** · August-15-12, 11:59 AM

Look at the way Arabs from different parts of the Middle East live here in peace and harmony. Christians, Muslims, Sunni, Shia, etc., they all have what it takes to get along with each other. Even my friend, a Jew, has a neighbor, a Muslim, who joked to him one day, "10,000 miles I move to live next to a Jew!" No, these people want to leave those sectarian battles behind and live in our New World and I applaud their tolerance and Americanism.

Apparently, out in the Bloomies, they have yet to learn what it means to be an American.

**poobert** · August-15-12, 02:08 PM

What's weird is that Islamic Centers have existed in Metro Detroit [[outside Dearborn) for decades. I can even think of one in Harper Woods and St. Clair Shores that have been there forever, and nobody ever gave a shit.

The elephant in the room, of course, is the Jewish population in West Bloomfield Township. My girlfriend is Jewish and so is one of my closest friends but it's a detriment to that community how closed-off it remains by-and-large, in my opinion. People would discover that Jewish people are great if more Jewish people would associate with more goyim!

**Danny** · August-15-12, 03:48 PM

I say let the Muslims build the community center in West Bloomfield just like a black family moves into a all white neighborhood. Get along folks! West Bloomfield is not New Israel just as Dearborn is not New Mecca. Last time I heard this is a free country.

**DetroitPlanner** · August-15-12, 03:52 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Even my friend, a Jew, has a neighbor, a Muslim, who joked to him one day, "10,000 miles I move to live next to a Jew!" No, these people want to leave those sectarian battles behind and live in our New World and I applaud their tolerance and Americanism.

Apparently, out in the Bloomies, they have yet to learn what it means to be an American.

Amend bro, could not have said it better myself. Its ironic that most folks who come here because of religious intolerance get it, but the vocal minority do not. I doubt every Jew in WB feels this way, but the empty barrels make the most noise.

**Patrick** · August-15-12, 04:25 PM

Originally Posted by poobert

What's weird is that Islamic Centers have existed in Metro Detroit [[outside Dearborn) for decades. I can even think of one in Harper Woods and St. Clair Shores that have been there forever, and nobody ever gave a shit.

The elephant in the room, of course, is the Jewish population in West Bloomfield Township. My girlfriend is Jewish and so is one of my closest friends but it's a detriment to that community how closed-off it remains by-and-large, in my opinion. People would discover that Jewish people are great if more Jewish people would associate with more goyim!

It's the truth and it's sad, really. I guess some communities in the Metro Detroit area only want to associate with themselves, or so it seems. Hell, the newer Muslim community isn't even as closed-off as the Jewish community, at least not in Metro Detroit or SE Michigan. Of course, this could be for a lot of reasons, but yea, their silence is deafening.

The biggest thing is that if you dare call members of the Jewish community “sorta clannish” you will be labeled an anti-Semite by the Schlussel/Foxman posse. One can't really say the same about the Muslim population or even the larger Middle Eastern population because it is spread all throughout the Detroit area, whereas the Jewish community seems to reside in 7 square miles of Oakland County.

Let’s do a switch shall we? What if a group of Jews wanted to open a synagogue in Dearborn and Muslims protested??? Imagine the faux outrage by the Bachmanns and the Schlussels of the world.

**antongast** · August-15-12, 04:30 PM

Let me get this straight. Our collective DetroitYes response to bigotry and xenophobia is to blame it on the Jews?

**Patrick** · August-15-12, 04:34 PM

Originally Posted by antongast

Let me get this straight. Our collective DetroitYes response to bigotry and xenophobia is to blame it on the Jews?

Nope. blame it on these assholes:

http://www.thomasmore.org/

The problem with the Thomas More Law Center is that they don't seem to have the balls to just come out and say that they hate Muslims in general. So instead, they hide behind all these stupid and hateful actions.

**piczka** · August-15-12, 05:04 PM

Allah Akbar! A few burkas to compete with the yarmulke. Will the deli's go Halal?

"God bless America"

**Detroitnerd** · August-15-12, 05:50 PM

Originally Posted by antongast

Let me get this straight. Our collective DetroitYes response to bigotry and xenophobia is to blame it on the Jews?

I thought it was pretty clear I was blaming it on morons, but, for clarity's sake: I blame this BS on any and all morons -- in the Bloomies and beyond.

**Bham1982** · August-15-12, 07:03 PM

Originally Posted by Danny

Since West Bloomfield TWP. is mostly an Orthodox Jewish community

I would be surprised if West Bloomfield were more than 25% Jewish.

Orthodox Jewish? Maybe 5%, max. There are very few Orthodox Jewish folks in Michigan.

**Bham1982** · August-15-12, 07:12 PM

The ironic thing about this thread is that everyone is screaming that "the Jews of West Bloomfield" are a bunch of bigots and leading some anti-Muslim crusade, even though there's no evidence whatsoever that Jews have anything to do with this.

I'd say the immediate assumptions in this thread are probably more indicative of bias than any allegations in WB.

**JBMcB** · August-15-12, 08:13 PM

There are only two things I can't stand in this world. People who are intolerant of other people's cultures... and the Dutch.

GUSHI · August-15-12, 08:46 PM

A lot of the people on the news looked like Americans to me, just plain white Chris tan Americans,

**cmubryan** · August-15-12, 08:52 PM

Wow, really??!! As one of those "Metro Detroit Jews from West Bloomfield" I am shocked at the bigotry and stereotypes that are so blatantly listed here. A few points that I'd like to make:

A. West Bloomfield is not predominately Jewish and the orthodox Jewish community is maybe less than 20% of the whole Jewish population in West Bloomfield. West Bloomfield may be 25-30% Jewish at best.

B. West Bloomfield has a very heavy Chaldean population that rivals, if not outnumbers the Jewish population so to indicate that Jews are intolerant of other ethnicities is preposterous. Many Jews still live in predominately African American neighborhoods in Southfield as well.

C. If you are looking for the orthodox Jewish Community, go to Oak Park. Oak Park by the way is predominately African American but also has a sizable Arabic and Chaldean population.

D. The reason why a lot of Jews live close together [[or "closed off" as referred to some posters) is because they feel it is important to be close to their synagogues, grocery stores that carry kosher food, restaurants that cater to their dietary wants and needs, etc. Also, like many other ethnic and religious minorities in this country, prejudice exists and let's face it the more of a minority you are in this country, the more possibility of discrimination existing,at least according to history.

E. Jews associating with "Goyim" [[non-Jews) in America is commonplace. In fact, it is so commonplace that as Jews assimilate into mainstream USA, there is a real concern that the religion is dying. More than 50% of Jews marry outside their religion.

F. The issue with the proposed Islamic Center is NOT that it is an Islamic Center and will attract Muslims but the issue is HOW it was sold and that there were other groups and people interested in the building that were not given a chance to purchase it.

I would request that my fellow posters on here take more time to think and investigate rather than blame or make stupid remarks that have no basis. Thank you.

**Patrick** · August-15-12, 09:04 PM

Originally Posted by cmubryan

Wow, really??!! As one of those "Metro Detroit Jews from West Bloomfield" I am shocked at the bigotry and stereotypes that are so blatantly listed here. A few points that I'd like to make:

A. West Bloomfield is not predominately Jewish and the orthodox Jewish community is maybe less than 20% of the whole Jewish population in West Bloomfield. West Bloomfield may be 25-30% Jewish at best.

B. West Bloomfield has a very heavy Chaldean population that rivals, if not outnumbers the Jewish population so to indicate that Jews are intolerant of other ethnicities is preposterous. Many Jews still live in predominately African American neighborhoods in Southfield as well.

C. If you are looking for the orthodox Jewish Community, go to Oak Park. Oak Park by the way is predominately African American but also has a sizable Arabic and Chaldean population.

D. The reason why a lot of Jews live close together [[or "closed off" as referred to some posters) is because they feel it is important to be close to their synagogues, grocery stores that carry kosher food, restaurants that cater to their dietary wants and needs, etc. Also, like many other ethnic and religious minorities in this country, prejudice exists and let's face it the more of a minority you are in this country, the more possibility of discrimination existing,at least according to history.

E. Jews associating with "Goyim" [[non-Jews) in America is commonplace. In fact, it is so commonplace that as Jews assimilate into mainstream USA, there is a real concern that the religion is dying. More than 50% of Jews marry outside their religion.

F. The issue with the proposed Islamic Center is NOT that it is an Islamic Center and will attract Muslims but the issue is HOW it was sold and that there were other groups and people interested in the building that were not given a chance to purchase it.

I would request that my fellow posters on here take more time to think and investigate rather than blame or make stupid remarks that have no basis. Thank you.

Then why is the Thomas More Law Center involved at all? Go their site and notice one of their "Key Issues" is Confronting the Threat of Islam. Using the excuse that others were not "allowed" to buy the property is a feeble attempt to draw people away from the real reason of this protest.

From the Detnews article...

The assistant superintendent added there were no other official offers for the school.
"No one else ever, ever, ever put a real offer in front of us," he said.

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...#ixzz23feXlMex

**cmubryan** · August-15-12, 09:24 PM

Patrick-I don't know anything about this Law Center but why blame the Jews?

Of course the superintendant is saying that now, he has to CYA.

**rb336** · August-15-12, 10:01 PM

West Bloomfield has a very heavy Chaldean population that rivals, if not outnumbers the Jewish population so to indicate that Jews are intolerant of other ethnicities is preposterous. Many Jews still live in predominately African American neighborhoods in Southfield as well.

Chaldeans are not Muslims. No one said "Jews are intolerant of other ethnicities," at least not that I read. This is anti-Muslim bigotry, from protestants, catholics and, yes, jews.

. The issue with the proposed Islamic Center is NOT that it is an Islamic Center and will attract Muslims but the issue is HOW it was sold and that there were other groups and people interested in the building that were not given a chance to purchase it.

If that were the case, they would have been gathering at Farmington Public School offices. West Bloomfield had nothing to do with the sale of the building

**cmubryan** · August-15-12, 10:23 PM

How do you know it is anti-muslim bigotry? What were the comments stated at the meeting that led you to believe that?

I am honestly asking you this, not trying to be facetious.

**detroitsgwenivere** · August-16-12, 12:19 AM

I've read this thread like 5 times and I still have yet to find anyone posting anti- Jewish anything. I think some of you are waving around a red herring to distract from the issue being discussed.

I've noticed over the years that in our society, when people make observations [[not judgements) about groups they aren't a part of, people from that group start throwing around accusations "in defense" of that group. So what if some of the Jewish community are part of a discussion here? Are they special somehow? Immune to perpetrating the social ills and deviances their neighbors and other groups suffer from? Off limits from being put on front street, like the rest of the groups in our society must endure from time to time?

This is America, and when it comes to an honest conversation, nobody gets a pass. Sorry.