A new year, a new era

City Councilmembers Abu Musa, Saad Almasmari and Anam Miah take the oath of office at Sunday’s swearing-in ceremony at the library.

City Councilmembers Abu Musa, Saad Almasmari and Anam Miah take the oath of office at Sunday’s swearing-in ceremony at the library.

 
By Charles Sercombe
Hamtramck ushered in a new political era last Sunday afternoon.
Three city councilmembers were sworn into office at the public library by Hamtramck 31st District Court Judge Paul Paruk: Anam Miah and Abu Musa, who were both incumbents, and the city’s newest member, Saad Almasmari.
Almasmari, the highest vote-getter in November’s election, almost missed taking the oath of office. The ceremony was held up 10 minutes because he was a no-show, and then after he still failed to arrive the ceremony went on without him.
He arrived about 20 minutes late, but still in time to be sworn into office.
With Almasmari’s election to city council, Hamtramck has the distinction of being the first American city council with a Muslim majority.
That historic moment received national and international media attention. But on Sunday, mysteriously, there were only two local media outlets (including The Review) on hand.
The library was packed with over 100 spectators and a large group of police officers who were on hand to witness another historical moment for Hamtramck’s 102-year-old police department: The first-ever female chief was sworn into office.
For the past several months Anne Moise had been the acting police chief. City Manager Katrina Powell announced in December that she had appointed her as the permanent chief of police.
Moise first came onto the Hamtramck force in 1999.
In her opening remarks Mayor Karen Majewski noted that despite Hamtramck’s often contentious elections, the community has a deep bond.
“We are lucky to live in a place where we know that we are part of such a community, where we can know our neighbors, our council members, and the person who bakes our bread; where we can walk to our favorite spot for coffee and be sure we’ll run into friends; where we know we are part of something bigger than ourselves,” Majewski said.
“In Hamtramck we feel this interconnection, and that is a source of personal and collective power. It makes us all visible agents of our destinies, as individuals and as a city. Because we live in a place where our seemingly small, individual actions can change a life, transform a street, and rebuild a city. And we live in a place where our vote truly matters.”
After the short ceremony a number of well-wishers posed with the elected officials and Moise for photographs.

 

2 Responses to A new year, a new era

  1. onu singh

    January 10, 2016 at 1:32 am

    Good wishes for all of them.

  2. Jonathan McGurk

    January 16, 2016 at 5:03 am

    You all will regret this. That Muslim city council of yours will start with legalizing call to prayers 5x a day. Then, the no booze/pork sales around mosques will increase to 1000feet, then some more. Shortly thereafter, there will be restrictions that are unheard of in America, but will become commonplace in your little burg.

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