Dearborn, a suburb of Detroit with a population of approximately 110,000, has recently found itself at the center of a heated national debate over anti-Muslim sentiment. The city, home to a diverse community that is roughly 55% Arab-American, including large Yemeni and Lebanese populations, is grappling with the influence of right-wing agitators and anti-Islamic groups. Frustration is growing as these groups attempt to frame Dearborn as a hotbed of violence and extremism. This bold endeavor is generating well-deserved national media and activist attention.
Mayor Abdullah Hammoud has strongly condemned the right-wing activists recent actions in the city. Further, he declared that these activists were not welcome in Dearborn. His comments were in reply to Pastor Ted Barham, who had charged the city with wrongdoing for honoring Councilmember Rianna Webb, a pro-Palestinian activist. Hammoud expressed his disapproval, stating, “What people took out of context is what I was trying to emphasize, which is that hate is not welcome in Dearborn.”
The debate exploded when January 6 insurrectionist Jake Lang made an appearance at protest in Dearborn. He’s a face of the far-right, having previously served four years in prison for assaulting a police officer during the January 6 Capitol insurrection. Lang planned to burn a Qur’an during the event and made other inflammatory statements provoking violence toward people of color. He shouted, “Today we mark America a Christian country. Today we mark America a European western civilization that the Muslims have no part in.”
During the rally, things turned to violence when a teenage counter protester punched Lang during the fracas, causing him to punch back in self-defense. This confrontation would become a flashpoint that would illustrate the increasingly bitter clash between right-wing activists and the local residents trying to protect their community. Walid, a local resident, remarked on the situation by referencing an Arabic proverb: “There’s an Arabic proverb that says ‘The lion doesn’t turn around when the small dog barks.’ Let those guys come and howl at the wind, then go back home to where they live.”
In recent years, Dearborn has become the unlikely epicenter for right-wing media boogeymen. Outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, have done much to popularize the term “Jihad Capital of America” to refer to this otherwise unremarkable city. Many local leaders and residents are pushing back against this inaccurate framing. They say it flattens the complexity and nuances of their community’s cultural assets. Walid further commented on the implications of these narratives, stating, “Anti-Muslim bigotry is the only acceptable form of overt bigotry in America and it can reward people monetarily.”
The city’s demographics are represented by a long-established and colorful culture of Arab-American community. For decades, waves of immigrants settled in Dearborn to take advantage of burgeoning job opportunities in the automotive industry. Dearborn, for its part, has a long history as a Democratic stronghold. In the last election, Donald Trump flipped the script, winning the region by nearly 4%. This political transformation has helped create an environment where right-wing political figures feel empowered to direct their hostility towards the city.
Over the years, Christian evangelists have done their best to try to convert Muslim children at parks or in front of schools in Dearborn. Instead, these collective efforts have only deepened tensions between marginalized community groups. Hammoud responded to these provocations by stating, “Although everyone is welcome, we don’t want anyone who hates others for the direction they pray, for their beliefs, for their roots or where their family immigrated from, and so on.”
As right-wing influencers continue to spin narratives around Dearborn for social media reach, local leaders and residents remain vigilant against such attacks on their community. They continue to reject hate and division and give us hope that it is possible to create a more inclusive environment.