With election coming up, Hamtramck’s cultural divide continues

City Councilmember Adam Albarmaki recently came under criticism for his position on abortion and other cultural issues.

By Charles Sercombe
The American culture war has come to Hamtramck.
Some Hamtramck Yemeni-American residents are urging voters to switch political parties over growing cultural issues involving LGBTQ and abortion rights.
Councilmember Adam Albarmaki recently told Hamtramck voters to vote straight Republican on a Facebook page called “Hamtramck Square.”
He also urged voters to reject state Proposal 3, which would ensure the right of women to get an abortion, but he faced criticism from some who accused him of spreading misinformation about the proposal.
He referred to the Democrats as having a “sinful agenda.”
He joins a small but possibly growing number of Arab-Americans who have recently been upset about LGBTQ books in school libraries, particularly in the Dearborn Public School District.
The backlash against Albarmaki was immediate – so much that he deleted his posts on Facebook.
In an explanation to The Review on why he deleted his posts, he said:
“I was expressing my feelings toward a political party. I am not against any specific group. I learned a great deal while researching Proposal 2 and 3. There is a lot of propaganda and misinformation going around in the community. I am not here to tell people how to cast their votes.
“Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and should utilize their right to vote. Our council is non-partisan so as long as we are working as a team for the city we can disagree on state and federal matters. I deleted my post to avoid divisiveness.
“The policies that state-level folks make can have a profound impact on us as a city. Republican control has made it difficult for us to balance our budget due to consistently cutting state revenue sharing, but that is just one factor.
“Ultimately, the power is with the people, and I feel being informed is how we make the best use of our power.”
Not everyone is buying that explanation.
In response, Samantha Roesin wrote this in the Hamtramck Square Facebook page:
“I’m confused by this new statement of yours. First you tell people how to vote on several posts that you make, then you make this post about not letting someone tell you how to vote. You’re being really unclear with this back and forth.”
She added: “As one of your constituents, I’m disappointed in how immature and unprofessional you continue to be. You’re unfit for office.”
While there seems to be a growing call for Arab-Americans to vote Republican, nationwide about 70 percent of Arab voters vote Democratic.
There are about two million Arab-Americans who live in the U.S., according to the Census. About 500,000 Arab-Americans live in Michigan, the highest number of any state.
The Yemeni community in Hamtramck is now considered a major voting bloc. Another sizeable voting population is the Bangladeshi community.
Both communities are largely of the Muslim faith. A number of Muslims hold conservative viewpoints on social issues, such as gay rights and abortion.
City Councilmember, and Mayor Pro Tem, Mohammed Hassan, a Bangladeshi-American, has also come out against state proposal 3 that would allow abortions.
The issue of gay rights has been a point of contention in Hamtramck, such as when a gay pride flag was flown on a city-owned flagpole in Zussman Park and, more recently, on a city-owned flagpole on Jos, Campau.
A number of those of the Muslim faith objected to that display on city-owned property.
There was also a prior clash over whether to allow marijuana dispensaries to operate in town, with objections again coming largely from those of the Muslim faith.
The Review reached out to state Rep. Abraham Aiyash — who is a Hamtramck resident, Yemeni-American and a Democrat running for re-election in the 9th District, which includes Hamtramck — about his thoughts on Albarmaki’s Facebook post, as well as his own position on abortion and gay rights.
He did not respond.
But Aiyash did support a state bill with several other legislators in 2021, recognizing the month of June as “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month in the state of Michigan.”
Aiyash is facing Republican challenger Michele Lundgren who, according to her campaign website, says: “With recent events in the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, I want to make it clear that abortion should remain safe and legal.”
The Review also reached out to Mayor Ameer Ghalib for comment, but he also did not respond.
Published Oct. 28, 2022