Photo: Chris Pedota / NorthJersey.com / USA Today
HAMTRAMCK, January 11, 2023 ~ The Hamtramck City Council approved religious animal sacrifices on residential property Tuesday, in a 3-2 vote. All four members of the City Council are Muslim, and Mayor Amer Ghalib cast the fifth, tie breaking vote.
“If somebody wants to do it, they have a right to do their practice,” Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Mohammed Hassan said at the meeting.
The approval came after months of debate and pressure from Muslim residents, who often slaughter animals during Eid al-Adha. Additionally, Hamtramck’s Muslim population is among the highest in any US city.
PODCASTS:
January 11, 2023 ~ 760 WJR Senior News Analyst Lloyd Jackson tells Paul W. that the Hamtramck City Council voted 3-2 to allow animal sacrifices in the city.
(CONTINUED) Some residents and animal advocates opposed the measure, claiming it will lead to sanitation issues, increases in animal cruelty, or onlookers being traumatized if they happen to come across a sacrifice in one of Michigan’s most densely populated cities.
The ordinance however, requires those who will be sacrificing animals to notify the city before the ritual, perform under sanitary conditions, and ensure the slaughter is blocked from public view.
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