Sterling Heights Mosque Controversy

[Wesley Mouch]

In Sterling Heights there is a Sikh Temple on Dequindre Rd. north of 14 Mile. It's not harming anyone. Let the Muslims put their mosque there. Muslim communities Sterling Heights is growing and contributing their businesses to their communities. Those racist fools just want a "WHITE'S ONLY" community. It's not going to happen. I wonder what will happen if a black church was building in Sterling Heights?

There was time when WHITES didn't consider Chaldeans white.

There is progress in the world. Funny, Arab immigrants want to discriminate against Muslim immigrants. We've achieved diverse multiculturalism.

[Bham1982]

The area around 15 and Ryan, about a mile west, has a lot of Arabic restaurants, grocers and clothing stores.

That area is Chaldean [[Christian), not "Arabic". The Arab Muslim community is not that large in that part of Metro Detroit.

Most Middle Eastern residents of Metro Detroit are Christian, hence the easy integration. We don't have issues like that of Western Europe largely because of this difference.

[Lowell]

That area is Chaldean [[Christian), not "Arabic". The Arab Muslim community is not that large in that part of Metro Detroit.

Most Middle Eastern residents of Metro Detroit are Christian, hence the easy integration. We don't have issues like that of Western Europe largely because of this difference.

Chaldeans are Arabs, speak Arabic and are from Iraq. That they happen to be Christians doesn't change that anymore than Palestinian Christians in Bethlehem are Arabs.

[Hermod]

Chaldeans are Arabs, speak Arabic and are from Iraq. That they happen to be Christians doesn't change that anymore than Palestinian Christians in Bethlehem are Arabs.

Used to be most of the middle-eastern immigrants to Detroit [[and Michigan) were Maronite Christians from Lebanon. I went to school with quite a few back in the 1944-1954 time frame.

[kathy2trips]

This is true. We still have a lot of family friends of Lebanese and Syrian heritage. The Mediterranean cultures in Detroit, including Greek and Italian have a long-standing friendship based on shared traditions. For example, we all ate stuffed grape leaves! Mmmm, good!

[Patrick]

Chaldeans are Arabs, speak Arabic and are from Iraq. That they happen to be Christians doesn't change that anymore than Palestinian Christians in Bethlehem are Arabs.

Not sure I agree on that one in its entirety. The ME is relatively diverse and using the word "Arab" is more of a convenient moniker used in the West than anything else. My Lebanese relatives in Trablous [[Tripoli) have stated that they would rather be called Phoenician. My wife's Cairo-based family is rather conflicted on the term. On one hand, Nasser's Pan-Arabism brought out the pride in being called "Arab" by others. I do know that many Egyptians prefer to be called African before Arab. Most people I have met in the ME consider the Gulfies to be the "real" Arabs.

I will say that just because one speaks Arabic, doesn't make them an Arab. Are Venezuelans considered Spanish because of the same language? Are Brazilians considered Portuguese? Using the term "Arab" is really an innocent and easy way to describe a large group of people from a certain part of the world.

[jcole]

That area is Chaldean [[Christian), not "Arabic". The Arab Muslim community is not that large in that part of Metro Detroit.

Most Middle Eastern residents of Metro Detroit are Christian, hence the easy integration. We don't have issues like that of Western Europe largely because of this difference.

And most of those businesses have lighted signs written in Arabic in their windows. As well as menus, etc.

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

The moment that Ms Rossi said that it was a "residential CATHOLIC community" she let it be known that the fact that is it a mosque is REALLY the sticking point. Does anyone seriously feel that she would object to a Catholic church? If you do you are delusional.

[Scottathew]

One thing I've noticed about some of my Christian neighbors of middle-eastern decent really, really dislike other people of middle-eastern decent, especially if they're Muslims. I've even had my Christian middle eastern neighbor emphatically tell me that my other Christian middle-eastern neighbor was a different kind of middle-eastern.

I frankly don't care what they believe. Mow your lawn, be friendly, come over for a BBQ, it all matters not to me.

I wouldn't be surprised if most people are opposed to this because they don't want Muslims to have a place to worship in their community. By building a mosque it means that the area will be more desirable for Muslims and it will increase the percentage of Muslims in the area.

Sadly, racism and discrimination based on faith do exist. The best I can do it raise my kids not to be a part of it and try to sway the opinions of others.

[FormerEastsider]

One thing I've noticed about some of my Christian neighbors of middle-eastern decent really, really dislike other people of middle-eastern decent, especially if they're Muslims. I've even had my Christian middle eastern neighbor emphatically tell me that my other Christian middle-eastern neighbor was a different kind of middle-eastern.

I frankly don't care what they believe. Mow your lawn, be friendly, come over for a BBQ, it all matters not to me.

I wouldn't be surprised if most people are opposed to this because they don't want Muslims to have a place to worship in their community. By building a mosque it means that the area will be more desirable for Muslims and it will increase the percentage of Muslims in the area.

Sadly, racism and discrimination based on faith do exist. The best I can do it raise my kids not to be a part of it and try to sway the opinions of others.

I can't believe how people whizzed by this post without one single comment about it. People would rather continue to rant about a mosque being built in a certain area than to recognize and acknowledge the truth when they read it.

[Bham1982]

One thing I've noticed about some of my Christian neighbors of middle-eastern decent really, really dislike other people of middle-eastern decent, especially if they're Muslims. I've even had my Christian middle eastern neighbor emphatically tell me that my other Christian middle-eastern neighbor was a different kind of middle-eastern.

You know why the West has so many Middle Eastern Christians, right?

They are being slaughtered left and right in the Middle East. There probably won't be a Christian community in the Middle East in a generation or two. Just like the Jews were eliminated from the Middle East once Islamic states took over, Christianity is next. And the smaller religious minorities [[Druze, Yazidi, Bahai, Zoroastrian, etc.) are probably all doomed too.

Even formerly majority Christian states like Lebanon are dominated by Muslims now, and the remaining Christians are all trying to get the hell out.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/26/ma...ddle-east.html

[janesback]

its possible that the individuals protesting are apprehensive about their safety in the future.....Ive been to London and Paris and was warned to stay away from zones [[ Zones Urband Sensibles) that surround mosques as well as to stay out of predominantly Muslim areas.......sorry, people don't want to be attacked in unsafe areas and perhaps foresee future problems that will arise.............look at what is happening over in France with the new Muslim immigrants.......

This same problem arose in New York a few years ago next to the World Trade Center when a mosque was proposed to be built in that area.........local police, firemen, citizens , fmaily of people killed as well as survivors of 9/11 protested against the plan and I didn't see a specific race protesting........just the citizens of New York.......
watch it and make your own assumptions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQyRvxTqjRw

[southen]

its possible that the individuals protesting are apprehensive about their safety in the future.....Ive been to London and Paris and was warned to stay away from zones [[ Zones Urband Sensibles) that surround mosques as well as to stay out of predominantly Muslim areas.......sorry, people don't want to be attacked in unsafe areas and perhaps foresee future problems that will arise.............look at what is happening over in France with the new Muslim immigrants.......

This same problem arose in New York a few years ago next to the World Trade Center when a mosque was proposed to be built in that area.........local police, firemen, citizens , fmaily of people killed as well as survivors of 9/11 protested against the plan and I didn't see a specific race protesting........just the citizens of New York.......
watch it and make your own assumptions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQyRvxTqjRw

It is still pure ignorance. Scared white christians just love freedom and the constitution unless it is something that frightens them due to their own sheltered ignorance. Then the hell with those things, I dont want the "different" people anywhere near me.

New York, Paris, London, Sterling Heights... Yup. They are infiltrating to attack OR looking for a place to worship, flip a coin.

[RaumVogel]

It is hard to give equal rights to a religion that doesn't embrace it.People can say what they want,but it's hard to believe that "Islam" is a tolerant religion after watching a video like that.As long as neighborhoods push out "others",I see no real end to racial division.I hear the argument of "They are just a few"...but the inhabitants of those neighborhoods weren't doing anything to stop the violence.
Here's another interesting bit I found out about what's going on in France [[Ironic,since Detroit was originally French. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Le_Pen
"Marine Le Pen stirred up controversy during the internal campaign. During a speech to the party faithful in Lyon on 10 December 2010, she said that the weekly illegal blocking of public streets and squares in multiple French cities [[notably the rue Myrha in the 18th arrondissement of Paris) for Muslim prayers was comparable with an occupation of parts of French territory. Specifically, Le Pen said:

For those who want to talk a lot about World War II, if it's about occupation, then we could also talk about it [[Muslim prayers in the streets), because that is occupation of territory. ...It is an occupation of sections of the territory, of districts in which religious laws apply. ... There are of course no tanks, there are no soldiers, but it is nevertheless an occupation and it weighs heavily on local residents.^[37]"

[EastsideAl]

"Marine Le Pen stirred up controversy during the internal campaign. During a speech to the party faithful in Lyon on 10 December 2010, she said that the weekly illegal blocking of public streets and squares in multiple French cities [[notably the rue Myrha in the 18th arrondissement of Paris) for Muslim prayers was comparable with an occupation of parts of French territory. Specifically, Le Pen said:

For those who want to talk a lot about World War II, if it's about occupation, then we could also talk about it [[Muslim prayers in the streets), because that is occupation of territory. ...It is an occupation of sections of the territory, of districts in which religious laws apply. ... There are of course no tanks, there are no soldiers, but it is nevertheless an occupation and it weighs heavily on local residents.^[37]"

Quoting Marine LePen now are we? What's next, David Duke? Debbie Schlussel?

[EastsideAl]

This same problem arose in New York a few years ago next to the World Trade Center when a mosque was proposed to be built in that area.........local police, firemen, citizens , fmaily of people killed as well as survivors of 9/11 protested against the plan and I didn't see a specific race protesting........just the citizens of New York.......
watch it and make your own assumptions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQyRvxTqjRw

There were no "problems" in New York, other than those stirred up by anti-Muslim protesters. No one was attacked, no one was endangered, business went on as usual in the surrounding blocks. The whole thing was tempest in a teapot whipped up by an idiotic right-wing media panic.

So, I take it you don't go to Dearborn because of your fears for your "safety"?

[Wesley Mouch]

You know why the West has so many Middle Eastern Christians, right?

They are being slaughtered left and right in the Middle East. There probably won't be a Christian community in the Middle East in a generation or two. Just like the Jews were eliminated from the Middle East once Islamic states took over, Christianity is next. And the smaller religious minorities [[Druze, Yazidi, Bahai, Zoroastrian, etc.) are probably all doomed too.

Even formerly majority Christian states like Lebanon are dominated by Muslims now, and the remaining Christians are all trying to get the hell out.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/26/ma...ddle-east.html

This is an extremely important point.

IMO, the problem is that we have a deserved, but inappropriately high level of respect for Islam -- and little appreciation for its victims.

The Chaldeans are very much victims of radical Islam.

Like the Jews, they just aren't today's victims du jour.

[janesback]

quote from Eastside Al............"So, I take it you don't go to Dearborn because of your fears for your "safety"?

Eastside Al......actually, as a woman, I do have fears. Fear for my safety and for the most, if an area is deemed unsafe, I try to avoid the area....as a woman and a gay woman I have been the target of attack before and assume it could happen again

I never stated Dearborn was unsafe, I thought we were talking about Sterling Heights? I also am aware that unsafe areas exist everywhere, in Detroit, in Michigan, in the US, etc.and yes, in Europe

Safe areas sometimes prove to be a myth. The policeman who was shot in Houston's NW side never expected a worthless coward to walk up behind him and execute him last Friday nite. He was in a relatively safe area, and Eastside, he was wearing a gun an uniform.
I would expect him to be the last person to be attacked by his appearance alone...I hope this clears things up for you in regards to myself and keeping myself safe........Im not sure I know of any area that is safe unless you have insight

take care and have a nice day..........Jane

[Patrick]

This is an extremely important point.

IMO, the problem is that we have a deserved, but inappropriately high level of respect for Islam -- and little appreciation for its victims.

The Chaldeans are very much victims of radical Islam.

Like the Jews, they just aren't today's victims du jour.

Chaldeans/Assyrians have been geopolitical pawns for centuries. If you think ISIL is bad, take a look at what the Ottomans did to them from about 1912 to 1924 ish. Read up on the Assyrian Sayfo.

[Wesley Mouch]

My understanding is that Chaldeans are not just Christian but Catholic. I was once told they were one of the early adherents to Catholicism -- while Rome was still pagan.

[Scottathew]

This is an extremely important point.

IMO, the problem is that we have a deserved, but inappropriately high level of respect for Islam -- and little appreciation for its victims.

The Chaldeans are very much victims of radical Islam.

Like the Jews, they just aren't today's victims du jour.

But back to the original topic, should that prevent mosques from being built in Sterling Heights?

[Honky Tonk]

I frankly don't care what they believe. Mow your lawn, be friendly, come over for a BBQ, it all matters not to me.

Great idea, make pork chops.

[Spartan]

Since the article is pretty vague, can anyone tell me where they want to build it? Next to the fire station? In the lot along Davison near Hatherly?

[1953]

I hate that I have to hear the call to prayer where I live, and I wish Islam would go away.

1953

[jcole]

I hate that I have to hear the call to prayer where I live, and I wish Islam would go away.

1953

And I hated getting woke up by the 6am Angelus bells; and I was Catholic