Hamtramck, a city located on the outskirts of Detroit in Michigan state and known by many as "Poletown" because of its thriving Polish community, has now been transformed into a Muslim community that serves the federal US government's Islamic immigration programme.
The change started over 20 years ago, specifically during the 1970s because of the globalisation of the auto industry and mass immigration, according to WND. Before that, the city boasted of several Catholic churches and Polish restaurants. But now, the city sports a Muslim face, with the city council dominated by Muslim leaders.
Butcher shops that used to serve Polish sausages are now catering halal meats blessed by an imam to female customers wearing hijabs. Church bells no longer ring so as to cater to the chant of a Muslim holy man giving the call to prayer in Arabic.
Stores have also been turned into mosques, and there is a call to prayer blasted over loudspeakers at least five times a day. Because of the drastic change in the community, the Polish city has now been dubbed as "Shariahville."
The Muslim community in the United States is growing, since Sterline Heights, which is located just 14 miles north of Hamtramck, is now slowly being transformed into another Shariahville.
However, many are opposing the change.
Last Sept. 11, the Sterling Heights planning board voted 9-0 to reject plans to build a mega mosque in the middle of a neighbourhood that is heavily populated by Iraqi Chaldean Christians. The crowd of hundreds who could not fit inside the meeting chambers cheered wildly in support of their decision.
Chaldean Christians are opposing the Muslim domination in their community because of the persecution of Christians by Muslims in Iraq.
However, the battle has not yet been won by the Christians of Sterling Heights since the city council can still approve the mosque. Moreover, the Obama administration, which has been a staunch supporter of Muslims, will be monitoring closely the decision and will be ready to file a federal discrimination lawsuit against city officials if they choose to follow the lead of the city planning board.
