Historic Election Creates 1st Muslim Majority City Council in America
Saad Almasmari, a Yemeni American, received the most votes of the six candidates on the ballot. Incumbents Abu Musa and Anam Miah, who came to the U.S. from Bangladesh, were re-elected. They join Bangladeshi council member Mohammed Hassan to form the first majority Muslim city council in America.
"Although we are Muslims, we're going to work for everybody and represent everybody in the Hamtramck city, regardless of their religion, ethnicity or color of skin," said Almasmari, who earlier failed to win election to the local school board.
Hamtramck is a historically Polish city, but that has changed dramatically in recent years.
"The Polish are only 11% of the population and Yemeni people are 27%," Almasmari told 7 Action News. "If you add the Bengali people, that's going to end up with 62%, which is the most of any Muslim communities."
All three council members say they will represent all of the residents of Hamtramck, with the goal of making the city better for all.
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"I work for every single individual," said Abu Musa. "It is my goal to make everybody happy in my ability."
Anam grew up in Hamtramck, after moving to the U.S. with his family when he was six-years-old.
"It is different," he said in describing Hamtramck today, "but we have a lot of Polish tradition still in our community and we embrace all that tradition along with different cultural traditions. It's a melting pot and we love it."
Councilman-elect Almasmari will officially join the council when he takes the oath of office next January.
Source: WXYZ
