Islamic call to prayer in Dearborn, Michigan
| Part of Religion in the United States | |
| Date | October 2025 |
|---|---|
| Location | Dearborn, Michigan, U.S. |
| Type | Breach of the peace, noise pollution |
In October 2025, Dearborn residents complained that the Dearborn Community Center mosque was being used to deliver an Islamic call to prayer over outdoor loudspeakers. Several Dearborn mosques received noise complaints.[1][2][3]
At an October 2025 city council meeting, Dearborn resident Andrea Unger cited an ordinance that prohibits, "the continuance of any unreasonably loud, disturbing, unusual or unnecessary noise which annoys, disturbs, injures, or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others within the limits of the city." Unger also stated that East Dearborn mosques were waking residents up with an early morning call to prayer.[1][4]
City Council President Mike Sareini stated at the meeting that Dearborn police investigated the issue and it was found that there had been mosques violating the city noise ordinance.[1]
Some Dearborn residents bothered by the noise of the Islamic call to prayer were concerned about complaining about the problem for fear of being labelled Islamophobic.[4]
Michigan incidents prior to 2025
2004
In 2004, conflict occurred in Dearborn after a vote to broadcast the Islamic call to prayer in public.[5]
Also in 2004, in the city of Hamtramck, Michigan near Dearborn, tensions arose when a petition from the al-Islah Islamic Center request to broadcast its call to prayer on outdoor loudspeaker.[6]
2018
In 2018, it was reported that the adhan had been broadcasting from loudspeakers atop the Dearborn, American Moslem Society building.[7]
Mosad Algahmi, the American Moslem Society outreach coordinator was quoted in 2018 saying, “Some people wake up to go to work. Some take a morning jog, some to walk their dogs, but for the most part, the majority of Muslims wake up to pray.”[7]
The Dearborn American Moslem Society mosque was actually the first United States mosque that was permitted to broadcast the call to prayer on exterior loudspeakers.[8][9]
2023
In 2023, after living in Dearborn for 43 years in the same home, husband and wife Andrea and Mike Unger had their peace disturbed when they began hearing a loud Islamic call to prayer from an exterior loudspeaker at a Schaefer Road mosque. Then multiple times a day they began hearing the adhan, the Islamic call to prayer in Arabic. The broadcast was so loud the Unger's reported they could even hear it with their house windows closed.[10]
2025 Dearborn resolution
It was later confirmed in 2025, by Nabeel Bahalwan, director of the Dearborn Community Center mosque, that it had been decided, for the time being, that the mosque keep its outside speakers turned off.[1]
2025 incident aftermath
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud spoke about the incident on a November 3, 2025 episode of the “Not From Here” podcast and said the complaints were “not an issue” and the Islamic calls to prayer was broadcast under the allowed decibel levels ordained by city ordinances and for decades had been part of life in Dearborn.[11]
References
- ^ a b c d Vicci, Gino (October 1, 2025). "Dearborn residents raise concerns about loudspeaker used by mosque for call to prayer". CBS News.
- ^ Ulcinaite, Ruta (October 21, 2025). "Dearborn residents complain about outdoor calls to prayer from mosques throughout city". WXYZ-TV.
- ^ Mion, Landon (November 18, 2025). "Anti-Islam protesters, Muslims clash in Dearborn, Michigan, after man attempts to burn Quran". Fox News.
- ^ a b Parks, Kristine (October 3, 2025). "Dearborn residents push city to curb noise levels from mosque's call to prayer". Fox News.
- ^ Feng, Zhaoyin (15 November 2021). "The US city run by Muslim Americans". BBC.
- ^ Leland, John (May 5, 2004). "Tension in a Michigan City Over Muslims' Call to Prayer". The New York Times.
- ^ a b Talley, Lauren (February 2, 2018). "Mornings in Michigan: Dearborn residents wake up to sacred chant". NPR.
- ^ "Dearborn Mosque Was First in U.S. Allowed To Broadcast Prayers on Loudspeakers". WRKR. March 21, 2024.
- ^ Hernandez, Dorothy (29 April 2024). "Dearborn, Michigan: A visit to the first Arab-majority city in the US". BBC.
- ^ Warikoo, Niraj. "40 Dearborn residents ask city to lower volume on mosques' outdoor call to prayer". Detroit Free Press.
- ^ Kornick, Lindsay (November 17, 2025). "Muslim Dearborn mayor weighs in on residents' complaints about mosque's call to prayer". Fox News.
External links