The elections for the American city of Hamtramck in the state of Michigan resulted in the election of the city council and its mayor from fully Muslim members, to be the first city to be governed by Muslims.
In the city council elections in the first week of this month, Khalil al-Rifai, Amanda Jakosky and Adam al-Barmaki succeeded in joining 3 other Muslim members of the city council;
Thus, the council became run by 6 Muslim members.
As for the mayoral election, Amer Ghaleb succeeded by almost twice as many votes over his opponent, Karen Majowski, to become the city of Hamtramck, the first American city in history whose members of the government are all Muslims.
According to local media agencies, the city of Hamtramck is inhabited by about 28 thousand people, 25% of its residents are Muslims of Arab origin, mostly from Yemen, and 27% of the city's residents are also Muslims of Asian origin, most of whom are from Bangladesh.
Congrats Mayor-Elect Amer Ghalib on being elected Hamtramck's first Arab American and Muslim mayor!
This is a proud moment for SE Michigan's Arab American community, and I look forward to working with him and his team.
https://t.co/VGqY3Pr8JX
— Brenda Lawrence (@RepLawrence) November 4, 2021
Adam Early, the former US ambassador to Bahrain, expressed his happiness at the election result, tweeting, "Hammtramck has become a symbol of hope for the rest of our divided nation."
Brenda Lawrence, a Michigan congresswoman, congratulated the city's new mayor, Amer Ghaleb, and said, "Congratulations to Mayor-elect Amer Ghaleb on his election to be the first Arab-American and Muslim mayor of Hamtramck! This is a proud moment for the Arab American community in Michigan, and I look forward to working With him and his team.
The city of Hamtramck, Michigan, will become the first US city to have its council composed entirely of Muslims, as the elections resulted in electing 3 Muslims, who joined the 3 current members of the council of the city known for its large immigrant population. #Sawt_Alhikma pic.twitter.com/TGamMRGz00
— Sawt Al-Hikma (@SawtAlHikma_EN) November 13, 2021
On the other hand, some did not welcome the election result, such as activist Paul Joseph, who tweeted, "Every elected person in Hamtramck has become a Muslim, a reflection of the population of which only half are Muslims. They voted for themselves as a kind of closed identity."