Fact Check: "The first Muslim mayor of a major U.S. city was elected in 2009."
What We Know
The claim that "the first Muslim mayor of a major U.S. city was elected in 2009" is misleading. While it is true that Charles Bilal was elected as the first Muslim mayor of a U.S. municipality in Kountze, Texas, in 1991, he was not the mayor of a major city. Kountze is a small town with a population of approximately 2,000 residents (Charles Bilal).
In 2009, a significant election occurred in Hamtramck, Michigan, where the city council elected a majority-Muslim council, but the mayor at that time was not Muslim (Washington Post). It wasn't until 2015 that Hamtramck elected its first Muslim mayor, Amer Ghalib, marking a notable milestone for a city with a significant Muslim population. However, this occurred six years after the claim's specified date of 2009.
Analysis
The claim conflates the election of Charles Bilal, who was indeed the first Muslim mayor in the U.S., with the notion of a "major" city. The term "major city" typically refers to urban areas with larger populations and more significant political influence. Kountze does not meet this criterion, as it is classified as a small town.
Moreover, the context of the claim lacks clarity regarding what constitutes a "major U.S. city." According to the U.S. Census Bureau, cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago are considered major due to their large populations and economic significance. Therefore, the assertion that a major U.S. city elected a Muslim mayor in 2009 is factually incorrect.
The sources used to support this claim, such as the information about Charles Bilal, do not indicate that he served in a major city (Charles Bilal). Additionally, the timeline of significant Muslim political representation in the U.S. suggests that while there have been notable elections, none align with the claim's specifics.
Conclusion
Verdict: False
The claim that "the first Muslim mayor of a major U.S. city was elected in 2009" is false. Charles Bilal was the first Muslim mayor elected in the U.S. in 1991, but he served in a small town, not a major city. The first Muslim mayor of a major U.S. city, Amer Ghalib, was elected in 2015, well after the date mentioned in the claim.
