The Maine Wire
  • News
  • Commentary
  • The Blog
  • About
  • Support the Maine Wire
  • Store
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending News
  • Portland Residents to Vote on $179M School Budget Carrying Over 5% Property Tax Hike
  • Mexico Man With Over 20 Convictions Arrested after Showing Up at Oxford County Jail and Threatening to Shoot Corrections Staff
  • Suspect Arrested After Assaulting Woman Over Closed Bathroom at Bangor Gas Station
  • Bellows Nixes ‘Maine Girl Dads’ Referendum, Clearing Way for Males in Girls’ Bathrooms and Locker Rooms
  • York Deputies Arrest Three Lebanon Men Found Fighting Outside a Bar
  • Leading Maine Republican Candidate For Governor Hits Back, Challenges Democrat Hopeful To Debate
  • Wedding Photographer Stabbed in Unprovoked Attack at Raymond Camp Ground
  • Democrat Platner’s Nazi Tattoo Requires He Quit The U.S. Senate Race, Says A Ranking Fellow Democrat
Facebook Twitter Instagram
The Maine Wire
Tuesday, May 26
  • News
  • Commentary
  • The Blog
  • About
  • Support the Maine Wire
  • Store
The Maine Wire
Home » News » News » City of Portland Will Consider Implementing ‘Inclusive’ Interest-Free Business Loans to Comply with Islamic Law
News

City of Portland Will Consider Implementing ‘Inclusive’ Interest-Free Business Loans to Comply with Islamic Law

Edward TomicBy Edward TomicJuly 15, 2024Updated:July 15, 202419 Comments2 Mins Read1K Views
Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Reddit
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

The Portland Development Corporation (PDC), a division of the city’s Housing and Economic Development Department that is in charge of approving commercial loans, this week will consider a proposal to allow borrowers to apply for interest-free loans.

A memo dated July 12 to the PDC board members from Nancy Martin, the city’s Business Programs Manager, outlines the proposed “Inclusive loan policies.”

“The City of Portland is increasingly diverse, and features many business owners from
international backgrounds,” the memo reads. “Their contributions to the local economy are numerous.”

In order to “increase financial access” to the business owners from “international backgrounds,” Martin wrote, the city would add an option to PDC’s online loan intake form that offers the possibility for borrowers to pay flat administrative fees instead of interest.

In her memo, Martin references the move made by Androscoggin Bank last August to offer interest-free mortgage plans to comply with Islamic law.

Under Islamic law, usury, or charging interest on loans, is a prohibited practice.

According to Martin, charging flat administrative fees monthly would be “mechanically simple” and would still result in the same amount paid on the loan over time as with interest.

As an example, Martin wrote that a $100,000 loan at 8% interest amortized over ten years would result in the total interest paid being about $45,594.

That same total interest amount could be paid by a flat rate of $379.95 for 120 months.

“Late fees could be added to the loan terms to incentivize borrowers to make their
scheduled payments on time,” Martin added.

The proposal is slated to be considered at the PDC board meeting this Thursday.

Previous Article17-year-old Dead at Public Housing Complex in One of Three Weekend Shootings in Lewiston
Next Article How to Respond to the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump
Edward Tomic

Edward Tomic is a reporter for The Maine Wire based in Southern Maine. He grew up near Boston, Massachusetts and is a graduate of Boston University. He can be reached at [email protected]

Latest News

Portland Residents to Vote on $179M School Budget Carrying Over 5% Property Tax Hike

May 26, 2026

Mexico Man With Over 20 Convictions Arrested after Showing Up at Oxford County Jail and Threatening to Shoot Corrections Staff

May 26, 2026

Suspect Arrested After Assaulting Woman Over Closed Bathroom at Bangor Gas Station

May 26, 2026
4.5 2 votes
Article Rating
19 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Emmaline
Emmaline
1 year ago

Watch for the advocates to demand NO INTEREST at all be charged to the new Biden Voters, who want state/city money for their halal butcher shops and clothing markets. And the sniveling city council will bend over and let it happen. Only regular Americans need pay FULL PRICE.

16
Judge Smells
Judge Smells
1 year ago

Can I be a Muslim only when I’m in the bank?

14
Beachmom
Beachmom
1 year ago

Doesn’t sound like integrating to our society.

16
cheshire cat
cheshire cat
1 year ago

How in the hell can this be constitutional?

15
ME Infidel
ME Infidel
1 year ago

A simple explanation for this is known as “Creeping Sharia” which might also be referred to as “Stealth Jihad” depending on the circumstances. Restructuring a loan in this fashion sounds innocuous but it isn’t. It amazes me in this day and age that people are so utterly ignorant of Islamic doctrine and its history of conquest. But, as with politics, people are just too lazy to do the research.

There are MANY good resources available starting with the likes of Robert Spencer, Bill Warner, David Wood, I.Q. Al Rassooli, Tom Holland, Walid Pharas, Andrew Bostom, Raymond Ibrahim, and Ann Corcoran. You WILL be accused of being a racist, a bigot and an Islamophobe, but don’t let that bother you. You’ll have the facts on your side.

21
mark violette
mark violette
1 year ago

“Sharia law divides offences into two general categories: “hadd” offences, which are serious crimes with set penalties, and “tazir” crimes, where the punishment is left to the discretion of the judge.
Hadd offences include theft, which under the strictest interpretations of Sharia, can be punishable by amputating the offender’s hand.” Are there other Sharia Laws that plans to follow?

10
This state sucks now
This state sucks now
1 year ago

Yet the same hypocrites wouldn’t allow religious exemptions from vaccination mandates. Unbelievable

17
Robert Manson
Robert Manson
1 year ago

Vote these idiots out of office . They will destroy our state .

13
Chris
Chris
1 year ago

Stealth jihad. The mohammedans have no interest in integrating. The koran tells them they must kill or dominate the infidel. That means you and me. Seems far fetched now but they are patient people who take a very long view of things and work incrementally to achieve what their leader in the “holy” book tells them.

12
sandy feet
sandy feet
1 year ago

It is not the job of the city to pick winners or lousers

6
Wasted in Portland
Wasted in Portland
1 year ago

So, Portland city councilors will not adhere to U.S. laws where only U.S. citizens are allowed to vote in our elections, but will willingly adhere to Sharia Law? Will they adhere or allow other aspects of Sharia law to be enforced? I am thinking specifically of the Sharia laws regarding gays and lesbians. That they be killed and all members of their family are also killed in order to eliminate the “disease”? Where is the LGB community here? Do they understand that to admit one Sharia law, admits them all?

11
Jim Deyermond
Jim Deyermond
1 year ago

So much for the separation of church and state!

10
Jim Deyermond
Jim Deyermond
1 year ago

If they were really going with Islamic Law, there would be a lot of people in Portland missing a hand!

7
Judge Smells
Judge Smells
1 year ago

When do the Muslims bend to OUR laws?

14
Craig
Craig
1 year ago

These people are “usless idiots” look up that term under their useless laws, as they are useless and un enforceable in this country. When the law suits start ,they ,”Androscabbin bank” , will claim ,oh were a private company/organization and can charge how we want , it’s not discrimatory!!!! If I had a penny in that bank , it would be too much. Pull your American $$ out of that bank. Now .

5
Conservative
Conservative
1 year ago

This state needs to be very careful…. look at what has happened in Minnesota. Towns and cities have slowly been taken over by muslims. You will hear the call to prayer being blasted in all neighborhoods. Europe has been overrun and now there is little that can be done to curtail it. Islam is a political organization that aims to infiltrate, take over and then convert the citizens. Even the slightest activity that gives way to Islamic law will see a decline in the American way of life as we know it.

6
RickyTickySavvy
RickyTickySavvy
1 year ago

…well, that sounds inclusive…if you’re Muslim! Hey Androscoggin Bank, we could use a few thousand interest free dollars! Despicable!

2
Gardiner Schneider
Gardiner Schneider
1 year ago

This will be another reason to avoid Portland: they are changing laws to cater to the Sand Diggers, many of whom are likely to be illegal aliens.

3
Sam Brady
Sam Brady
1 year ago

Sharia Law by another name… Can’t wait until the Homo’s start getting thrown off buildings then listen to the LIBTARDS squeal !

0
Recent News

Portland Residents to Vote on $179M School Budget Carrying Over 5% Property Tax Hike

May 26, 2026

Mexico Man With Over 20 Convictions Arrested after Showing Up at Oxford County Jail and Threatening to Shoot Corrections Staff

May 26, 2026

Suspect Arrested After Assaulting Woman Over Closed Bathroom at Bangor Gas Station

May 26, 2026

Bellows Nixes ‘Maine Girl Dads’ Referendum, Clearing Way for Males in Girls’ Bathrooms and Locker Rooms

May 26, 2026

York Deputies Arrest Three Lebanon Men Found Fighting Outside a Bar

May 26, 2026
Newsletter

News

  • News
  • Campaigns & Elections
  • Opinion & Commentary
  • Media Watch
  • Education
  • Media

Maine Wire

  • About the Maine Wire
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Submit Commentary
  • Complaints
  • Maine Policy Institute

Resources

  • Maine Legislature
  • Legislation Finder
  • Get the Newsletter
  • Maine Wire TV

Facebook Twitter Instagram Steam RSS
  • Post Office Box 7829, Portland, Maine 04112

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

wpDiscuz