In Our Opinion 8/6/08

Is City Councilmember Shahab Ahmed’s political future in doubt?

With three years left in his term, it’s hard to tell if his arrest for domestic abuse will have any effect on voters.

Ahmed was arrested but released without being charged because his wife has declined to press charges. In Wayne County, the Prosecutor’s Office will not press the matter in cases like this if there isn’t going to be a cooperating witness.

To say that the community was stunned is an understatement. Ahmed has come off as a solid family man, but the rumors swirling around town paint a different picture of Ahmed.

But then, rumors are just that, rumors. No one knows what the state of Ahmed’s marriage is in, nor is it really anyone’s business.

But elected officials are held to a higher standard of conduct. Being arrested for assaulting one’s spouse isn’t going to sit well with a number of people, even if charges were not filed.

Two weeks ago, Ahmed called this newspaper to explain what went wrong. It was an intense conversation. Ahmed said he has been under great duress for the past several weeks. He said his Bangladesh community has targeted him with vicious rumors and criticized him for supporting a controversial “Human Rights” law that gives gays and lesbians anti-discrimination protection.

The pressure and unfounded criticism, he said, made him snap. His wife, Lisa, said Ahmed has not been acting himself lately and has been yelling at people – something that is totally out of character for him.

Having seen some of the Bangladesh-American political forums, we can verify that they are nasty ordeals that often fall apart with political factions squaring off against each other.

We believe Ahmed and his wife when they talk of the intense personal pressure they come under and the personal toll it has taken.

Ahmed and his wife are living together and they say their marriage is stable.

This incident serves as a reminder that being in the public spotlight sometimes comes at a high price. Hamtramck elected officials are not full time politicians. They receive a modest stipend, less than $3,000 a year, to deal with a wide-range of issues facing the city.

Frankly, serving on council is a thankless task that is guaranteed to make more enemies than friends.

We suggest Ahmed take stock of his health and think long and hard if it’s worth the grief, because it will only get worse from this point on.