Definitely need to g today.
All right. Thank you all for your
patience.
call to order this regular scheduled
meeting of the 31st 35th Dearborn City
Council for August 18th, 2026 at 7 PM.
Just a kind reminder to everyone in
attendance, please silence your cell
phones, communication devices as to not
disturb the meeting. Mr. Clerk, can we
have the role?
>> Yes. Council member O'Reilly
>> here.
>> Council member Enos.
>> Council member Paris
>> here.
>> Council member Abraham
>> here.
>> Council member Hammud here.
>> Council member Alafi.
>> Council President Sereni
>> here. We have a quorum. All right. Thank
you, Mr. clerk. At this time, I'd like
to turn the meeting over to Councilman
Robert A.
>> Thank you, Council President Serini.
Ladies and gentlemen, special guests and
visitors, welcome to Dearborn. Before we
start our regular city council meeting,
I want you to know that I've served this
community for almost 25 years in this
capacity. And at every single council
meeting, it has been a tradition of the
Dearborn City Council and the
administration
to begin in prayer and recite the pledge
of allegiance of the United States of
America.
This is us. This is who we are. This is
the city of Dearbornne and this is the
United States of America.
Now, it is my honor to introduce Pastor
Jerry Reno from Grace Presbyterian
Church. deliver the invocation tonight.
I will also, as I've done many times
before, I will ask all who are able to
please stand for tonight's invocation
and remain standing for the pledge of
allegiance of our great country.
>> Well, thank you council. It's an honor
to be here again. My name is Jerry
Riando and I serve as pastor of Grace
Presbyterian Church in Dearborn. Thank
you so much for having me. Let's pray.
Almighty God, thank you for the members
of the city council before me. I thank
you for the fact that you have raised
them up to lead this city to sacrifice
for this city and to love the city. God,
we thank you for each member of this
council and I would pray that you would
bring blessing to them in their
individual lives. I pray that you would
bless their families and give them
health and protection. We know that most
of them work outside of these council
chambers. And so I pray that you would
bless the work of their hands and make
their labor fruitful.
The most important prayer that I can
pray for them this evening is this. I
pray that you would draw each of them
closer and closer to yourself and that
they would come to know you more and understand your immeasurable
love that you offer both tonight and all
the days of their lives.
Lord, we know that there is a great deal
of work before council this even some of
it is complex. Some of it is tedious.
Some of it is emotionally charged. Most
of it affects the lives of thousands of
people. On some matters there is
unonyimity.
On others disagreement. And so my prayer
this evening for this council is that
you would grant them wisdom. In James
chapter 1, you give us an astounding
promise that when we lack wisdom, we We
ask you and you give generously. And so
we do that just now. Please God, grant
these men wisdom. Grant them patience
and understanding and forbearance.
Grant these things so that they can
effectively do what you have called them
to do, which is to lead and love the
city. God, we know we can ask these
things of you because no matter how much
we love the city, and we do, we know
that you love the city and her people
even more. We desire her well.
Father, we pray all these things in
Christ's holy name. Amen.
» United States of America
for all.
» Thank you, pastor.
All right, Mr. Clerk, can we have the
first item of business?
>> Uh, item number four is a resolution by
Council President Sereni, supported
unanimously offering condolences to
family of Ronnie L. Chandler and
requesting immediate effect.
>> Thank you, Mr. Clerk. We are deeply
saddened by the past passing of Ronnie
Chandler, a resident of Dearborn,
Michigan, who was born on July 16th,
1944, and passed away on July 28th of
this year at the age of 82 years old.
Ron leaves behind his beloved wife
Sandy, his children Amanda, Bridget,
Katie, and Megan, his grandchildren, and
many family members and friends who will
ever forever cherish his memory. After
attending Fortune High School, Ron's
love for baseball led him to pursue a
professional career as a pitcher from
1963 to 1970. Played in the minor
leagues for several teams, uh,
dedicating himself to a sport that he
loved. Following his baseball career,
uh, Ron uh, briefly worked in the
drywall industry before returning to
school in 1976 where he went on to earn
his bachelor's degree from the Wayne
State University. After graduating, Ron
built a successful career as a financial
adviser for Sigma Financial. He was a
dedicated to helping others plan for
their futures and was respected by his
colleagues and clients for his
integrity, wisdom, genuine commitment to
helping others succeed. Above all, Ron
cherished his family. He and he shared
an extraordinary marriage with his
beloved wife Sandy, a testament to a
lifetime of love, devotion, and an
unwavering commitment to family. Ron
also had a gift of of finding joy in the
simple pleasure such as a fresh cup of
coffee, a good meal with his loved ones,
and of course, watching a baseball game
and enjoying his nearby golf game. Uh
Ronnie Chandler uh will be remembered as
a man who who found happiness in every
moment in everyday moments and took
great pleasure in sharing those moments
with people that he cared about. His
legacy lives on through the family uh
his family members that he cherished and
the many many lives that he touched with
kindness, integrity, generosity
and uh quiet leadership. We extend our
deepest condolences to Sandy, his
children, grandchildren, extended
families, friends, and to all that had
the privilege of knowing Mr. Chandler,
as I always called him. And uh on a
personal note, his wife uh taught uh
every one of my children through uh
elementary school. Tremendous people uh
that u believed in hard work, paying
your dues, respecting others, and living
a clean, honest life. Tremendous man.
And um we we uh may he rest in and
eternal peace. A unanimous role shall be
uh attached. All right, Mr. Cook. The
next item will be public comment.
Correct. All right. Before we go to the
public comment, I just want to give some
ground uh ground rules that we do every
meeting. The public comment under the
term of the 34th council was changed to
allow 30 minutes prior to our regular
business items which we will do here
today. We have comment cards we'd like
you to fill out. U unfortunately we will
only allow 30 minutes in the beginning
of the meeting. Then after the business
items, we will then pull the rest of the
cards for those to speak. Kind reminder,
we do not allow any outbursts. If you
truly want to be heard, you need to be
able to be heard by uh the council. We
ask you others that are in the audience
not to have any out outbursts
whatsoever. And just keep in mind also
that um you will have a threeinut time
limit. The clerk will let you know when
there's 30 seconds remaining
and we will begin uh Mr. Clerk at uh
711. Okay. All right. So we do have some
cards and then those who did fill out a
card, you will be called but it will be
at the end of the meeting if you don't
make the first uh 10. All right. Uh
first we have uh is Miss uh Cheryl
Cooper.
Okay. So, we don't have Miss uh Pamel
Stokes. Just keep in mind, folks, the microphone is in one spot. Is there
a pathway
officer? Is there a pathway through this
side?
Yeah.
If we can Yeah, we Yeah. Or from the
rear. Yeah. Is the rear clo better access to go around? All right.
So, if anybody's on this side of the
side of us, if they like Yeah, just
Yeah. All right. Just try to go around
to get that thing. Miss Stokes, thank
you for being here. You may proceed.
>> Is this okay? Can you hear? Okay.
>> Excellent.
>> Okay. Um, council members, mayor, my
name is Paula Hamilton Stokes and I
reside on Lynon Street.
I am here this evening to show support
for my beloved hometown.
I thank you for the privilege of your
time.
Dearborn has one of the most diverse
populations in our country and I will
not stand idly by as outsiders attempt
to sew division and hate. They would
have you believe our city is under
siege.
This is no more than an attempt to fear
and could not be further from the truth.
I have served three different mayors
and was blessed to be mentored by each
one, making me the woman I am today.
Strong,
confident,
and incapable of backing down when I see
injustice.
Dearborn has always been there for me,
and I remain grateful.
Some of the kindest, caring, and
open-minded people I have ever known
live right here. We share our
differences. We do not fear them.
God bless you, dear neighbors.
>> Thank you, Miss Stokes. [applause]
Uh thank you. We have uh Pastor Lorenzo
Su.
[applause]
My name is Pastor Lorenzo Sula. I have
the honor and the privilege of being the
senior pastor of 180 church where
President Donald Trump came for his
birthday weekend. And it was there that
I had an opportunity to pray over the
president. And it was at that moment
that he told me I would pray at the
inauguration and I would be able to
preach at the rededication.
The reason why I'm here today because
dearbornne
in all of your prosperity
and everything that you've done the
spirit of Hubard is still in this city.
The The spirit of racism still dwells
in this city. This is a CITY THAT HAS
PROSPERED WITH YOUR mosque and your call
to prayer. But yet, it's on the back of
my people. It's on THE BACK OF BLACK
people that we have funded everything
you do. You look down on us. Your police
enact injustice on us. And when Jake
Lane talked about Jesus,
HE WAS ASSAULTED
BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT UP UNDER AMERICAN
LAW. YOU ARE UP UNDER SHARIA LAW. THAT
IS THE REASON WHY YOU HAVE MADE NO
ARREST. YOU LAUGH. YOU ARE THREE
GENERATIONS OF RACISM IN THIS VERY CITY.
YOU KNOW IT. YOU HAVE SEEN WHAT HAS
HAPPENED IN THIS CITY. AND IT IS MY
PEOPLE THAT HAVE FUNDED YOU. IT'S MY
PEOPLE THAT MADE SURE THAT YOU HAVE WHAT
YOU HAVE. AND YOU SPIT on us. YOU
DEGRADE US. BUT YOU'RE ONLY 1% OF THIS
NATION. WE ARE NOT A NATION OF MUSLIMS.
WE ARE A NATION OF CHRISTIANS. WE ARE
ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE. THE
GOD OF THE BIBLE, THE GOD [screaming] OF
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. THAT'S THE GOD IN
WHOM WE SERVE. I WANT YOU TO PROVE TO ME
WE'RE NOT UP UNDER SHARIA LAW. WILL YOU
DENOUNCE COUNCILMAN O'REILLY? WILL YOU
DENOUNCE SHARIA LAW?
Will you den I KNOW YOU WON'T. WILL YOU
DENOUNCE SHARIA LAW? ABRAHAM, YOU WENT
TO HILLSDALE. WILL YOU RENOUNCE SHARIA
LAW? WILL YOU RENOUNCE SHARIA LAW?
AMERICA, WE HAVE LOST THIS CITY. THIS IS
A CITY THAT IS NO LONGER UP UNDER
AMERICAN LAWS. WE ARE UP UNDER SHARIA
law and we will not HAVE IT ANYMORE.
ENOUGH [screaming] IS ENOUGH.
[cheering]
» All right. All right. Order. We got to
have We're gonna have order in the
meeting. We're gonna have order in the
meeting, folks. Okay. I just would like
to remind everyone there is a microphone
system in the city of Dearbornne. We can
afford one. So, when you're speaking, if
you'd like to raise your voice, you like
to raise your voice, guys. You can, but
it's not doing anything else. So, we
we'd like we're going to give you a
warning. Speak. We can hear you. We want
you to be heard. We understand passion.
We're all about passion. But keep in
mind that be respectful to to people
that are here that want to be heard. So,
please try to contain yourself if you
can. Um, can we have our uh Sam beers
tonight? I speak not only as a resident
in your Wayne County Commissioner, but
as someone who has been selling real
estate in Dearborn for four decades. For
the last 40 years, I have witnessed
firsthand the transformation of this
great and diverse city. I have watched
families build their lives here,
businesses grow, neighborhoods change,
and generations come together to make
Dearborn the community it is today. And
that is why I want to say this very
clearly. Dearbornne is America. The
Constitution of the United States is the
highest law of the land, not the law of
any religion. It protects every one of
us, whether we pray in a mosque, a
church, a synagogue, or somewhere else.
To those who came to Dearborn looking to
spread fear and division, I say to you,
come see the real Darbone. Look at our
neighborhoods, our businesses, our
schools, in our houses of worship. You
will see people from different
backgrounds living, working, worshiping,
and raising their families together. You
will see a nativity tradition that has
been part of this great community for
more than 70 years. You will see
businesses selling pork products. You
will see religious freedom in action.
That is not Sharia Allah. That is
America. And those who came here
intending to desecrate the Quran to
provoke or insult our community.
Understand this. Muslims honor Jesus
Christ, Mary and Moses, peace be upon
them. Jesus is honored throughout the
Quran. Mary, Miriam is so deeply honored
that an entire chapter is named after
her and Moses is mentioned more than any
other prophet 136 times. Those figures
are not strangers to Muslims. They are
part of our faith. You have the
constitutional right to disagree with
us, protest peacefully, and speak your
mind. And we have those same rights to
worship, to speak, to assemble, and to
live our faith openly. Let me tell you
who the people of Dearborn are. We are
doctors, teachers, judges, lawyers,
business owners, police officers, public
servants, first responders, and members
of United States Armed Forces. We pay
our taxes. We create jobs. We educate
our children. We care for our neighbors.
We came from different places, but we
build something together. That is the
beauty of America. So to anyone who
comes to the air when looking for
division, I say you may not understand
us but you will not define us.
>> You have 30 seconds remaining.
>> You may try to divide us but you will
not succeed. We are Americans. We are
proud of our heritage. Come to Dearborn
peacefully. Come respectfully. Exercise
your first amendment rights and we will
defend your right to do so. But don't
mistake our diversity for or for
division or our faith for something
foreign to America. The urban is
America. The constitution is our law.
Our diversity is our strength and once
again we don't have Sharia Allah and
dear one we have shawarma law and we
proudly claim we proudly claim
>> you have your time has expired
>> shawarma outside the middle east
[applause]
we have some of the best shawarma
outside the middle east so try some
while you are here thank you may god
bless dear one and may god bless the
United States of America
>> thank you thank you Mr.
All right.
[applause]
All right. Thank you, Mr. Bayon. Uh,
next we have Mr. Eric Mgo.
Yes, sir. Sorry about that.
All right. Now, I'm listening to you
guys come up here. You guys want to talk
about how you're being honest and you're
speaking from the heart. Not one of you
people that come here and speak without
a freaking script in your hands, word
for word reading it. You got a mayor
that says tells an American citizen that
he cannot be welcome at Dearborn,
Michigan if he doesn't want a damn
terrorist on the name of a street. You
got you got members on the board over
there laughing at American citizens when
they're concerned about Jira law and the
Muslims that are telling us we're going
to take over your city. We have Assan
saying, "We're going to do things
to your women." And we're saying, "Oh,
this is peaceful that you people came
here to give us peace. YOU GUYS CAME
HERE TO CONQUER US. THIS IS THE CRUSADES
all over again. You're going to think
you're going to take this country
without FIRING A SHOT." HOW ABOUT THIS?
HOW ABOUT THE AMERICAN CITIZENS SAY,
"NO, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO do this. WE'RE
GOING TO STAND UP. WE'RE GOING TO TELL
YOU EVERYBODY HERE FROM EVERY SINGLE
from felons TO NORMAL PEOPLE, BIBLE
THUNDERSTORMS
MUSLIM INVASION, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO
HAPPEN IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
NOT WHILE CHRISTIAN CRUSADERS ARE
STANDING HERE BLOCKING YOU. THAT'S ALL I
got to say.
>> Thank you.
» Okay.
we need
>> folks, we need some we need order in
here. The next uh
speaker we have is uh Mr. Joseph Barro.
You here?
>> Bario,
do you want me? We could call you later
if you like. Can
there is a pathway right there?
>> There's a pathway. You could come this
way. Yes.
It was one from the middle.
» All right. Thank you.
My name is Joseph Barajio, citizen of
the good city of Dearborn.
I am a I'm a professional in the sense
of teaching history, writing history,
and reading history.
And I'd like to say that there was a
formidable year in the seventh century
when a new country came aboard.
was the country Russia and the uh
equivalent of George Washington Vladimir
wanted to consolidate this new country
of his by adopting a religion.
He first went to Christianity but the
schism the differences between Rome and
uh Orthodox Eastern Orthodox made him
shy away from it. He didn't want
anything to do with this kind of a
trouble. He looked at Islam, but he had
to defer from it too because his people
love drinking vodka. So he looked at
Judaism and he said, "Yeah, this is the
right religion for my people." And a a
Turko Finnish nomadic tribe out of Kev,
Ukraine,
opted to become Jews. Jews, our Judaism
adopted Judaism. They're not necessarily
Jews because these were people that were
not Seemitic people. They were not had
no direct historical connection to
Palestine.
And the descendants of these people
became the Ashkanazi Jews who ruled uh
apartheid Israel. The same text context
with them. They're not a Seemetic
people. They have no historical
connection to Palestine. And it's the
same group that's responsible for
murdering, systematically murdering
79,000
Palestinian Seemetic people, 20,000 of
whom were children. And as documented
that the IDF actually turned off fuel to
incubators that killed and suffocated
Palestinian children to death. You talk
about evil. Raw, pure evil.
unforgettable evil. That was it. Well,
at any rate, there's it's notable about
one thing, too. There was a a comment
made in the last council meeting I
attended with the quote was, "What is
Israel to do? I'm here to tell Israel
what to do. You need to give back the
land that you took from the Palestinian
people, the Semitic. You need to give it
back to the Cathartic Jews who were
seemetic to the
>> You have 30 seconds remaining
>> that were a part of that whole theme.
>> All right, I'm closing out with this
brief statement. The first the
constitution of the United States is
national law. There's a section dealing
with the freedom of religion, all
religions in this country, and that
involves Islam. And I say this to the
xenophobes, the anthropobes, and the
Islamophobes. I have one thing to say to
you. You can take your hateful,
blackhearted ways and shove it up where
the sun doesn't shine.
>> The time has expired.
[applause and cheering]
» Okay.
All right. Uh, next speaker we have next
speaker we have is uh
>> Okay. Next speaker Jake Jake Lang.
» [cheering]
» I can't listen to Jake.
Sir. Sir.
>> All right. We're going to There's no
books or props allowed. So, you either
put them down or you'll be removed. You
got one second and you'll be removed.
What do you want to do?
>> Put them down or you're going to be
There's no books. No paraphernalia.
That's the council rules.
[applause]
» Hey, let's go. For three years straight,
the number one name in the country of
England for newborn babies is Muhammad.
Tell me that white Christians are not
being invaded. How can you lie to our
faces with your tea? This is an invasion
on all fronts. Our people are being
pushed out of the workplace. We're being
pushed out of city councils. That smug
face of the tea Muslims needs to be
wiped off these people's faces. These
people are looking to destroy us. These
people are looking to outbreed us. The
Muslims have not come here to
assimilate. They have come here to steal
the wealth of this land to rape our
women. What about the 250,000
women in England that WERE RAPED BY
PAKISTANI MUSLIMS and they got little
slaps on the wrist from the woke
democratic regime. The Muslims are being
used by the Democrats to instill
SOCIALISM IN AMERICA. We know it. Look
at all of your top Muslim leaders. They
all pander to homosexuality, the trans
agenda, and to socialism. You're fake
Muslims. You're just using the
Democrats, these woke liberal idiots,
the women in New York to gain power. And
once the Muslims have power in this
country, then they will start throwing
the homosexuals off the roofs just like
they do in Palestine. You guys all cry
about Palestine. Try being a white
Christian man, preaching the word of God
in Palestine. Guess what MIGHT HAPPEN TO
YOU? THE SAME THING THAT HAPPENED TO ME
HERE IN DEARBORNNE, MICHIGAN. YOU WILL
BE STONED FOR SAYING THE NAME of Jesus
Christ in Palestine, in Afghanistan, in
Yemen, in Iraq. JESUS CHRIST IS OUTLAWED
IN THOSE countries and we will stand.
The crusade has begun. Your time in this
country is running short. The time of
stealing FROM THE DETROIT BLACK
CHRISTIAN AMERICANS IS OVER.
>> OVER.
>> IT'S OVER.
>> MUSLIMS, GO HOME BEFORE WE SEND YOU
HOME.
>> WE HAVE CRUISE SHIPS. WE HAVE PLANES. WE
HAVE TRAINS. AND WE'RE GOING TO PACK
THEM OUT WITH ALL OF THE ARABS. You have
to go home. We don't want you here. Our
founding fathers gave this country to
their posterity. WHITE CHRISTIANS AND
THEY BROUGHT ALONG WITH THEM THEIR BLACK
FRIENDS. AND NOW WE'RE HERE TO RECLAIM
AMERICA FOR THE BLACKS AND THE WHITE
PEOPLE.
>> We have 30 seconds remaining.
>> WE WILL NOT ALLOW THESE THIRD world
mongrels to run rough shot over us
without a fight. THE BODY OF CHRIST IS
ONE. IF YOU ARE IN CHRIST, YOU ARE MY
BROTHER. IF YOU STAND AGAINST ISLAM, YOU
ARE MY BROTHER. IF YOU ARE WILLING TO
STAND UP AND TAKE THIS COUNTRY BACK, YOU
ARE MY BROTHER. JOIN THE CRUSADES AND
EXTRICATE THIS FILTH FROM our country.
We will have our way. Come blood or
sweat, we will have our way.
>> This is a Christian land. Christ is
king.
>> Thank you.
>> Christ is [cheering] king.
>> Christ,
» Jason. You can
>> applause.
Okay, folks. Let's have order. We have
the best police department in the state
of Michigan. They're handling it.
[applause]
» All right. Uh, next. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Next, we have uh Mr. Alabas
Far Hat.
Good.
evening, council. I um you know,
I'm disappointed that we continue and
there are folks that continue to stand
behind this guy Jake Lang, a man who
tried to sleep with a 15-year-old who
defends a pedophile like Donald Trump
WHO STANDS UP FOR JEFFREY EPSTEIN.
somebody who wants to question how
American we are yet sells our country
out every single day in the White House.
I understand the clicks are nice and the
headlines are nice, but this is an
American city. And when you go and bring
this type of hate and rhetoric to this
city, have a nice day, sir, to this
city. All you're doing is dividing this
neighborhood and you're dividing our
community.
>> You can do that where you are. Don't
come here cuz DEARBORN IS A SHINING
beacon of unity and coexistence. Amen.
>> We're a place where neighbors check in
on neighbors, where they share meals
over fence lines, where they stand
together and they support each other.
But if folks want to come here and
preach hate and division, bring their
ARs and their drum magazines and stand
in the face of little children at the
school on Ford Row, the ICA, or
terrorize the church next door, don't
come here
>> plainly because this is a city where we
believe in coexistence and unity. where
we believe that to be American is about
the values you preach and believe and
stand for and not about your religion or
birthplace. That is what it is to be
American. That is why our founding
fathers gave us a constitution and bill
of rights that protects your freedom of
speech just as much as our freedom of
religion. This is a city where we build
the bestselling pickup truck in the
world, the F-150. We root for the Lions
on Sunday and the Tigers when they play.
We love America, but to question our
Americanness and how much we will defend
and die for this country when we have
service members up on that dis when we
have service members in our military is
unacceptable. Take the time and learn
about your neighbors. Don't follow the
clickbait. Don't follow the attention.
Don't follow these paid agitators paid
by Donald Trump and the Republican
party. Paid to preach hate and divide
neighbors cuz they got an election that
they're going to get sent packing in.
[clears throat]
» [applause]
» Thank you. Next speaker we have is
uh Mike Dean.
Thank you, distinguished councilmen and
mayor. I just want to start out by
saying the measure of a man isn't how
loud he can shout, especially when he's
shouting out nonsense because even a
donkey can shout really loud, but at the
end of the day, he's still just a
donkey. So, I just have one thing that I
would like to say in regards to Jake
Lang and Pastor Lorenzo. First, let's
start with Lorenzo. He gave a very
eloquent impassioned speech that didn't
make any sense because he said that the
poor black people of Dearborn for which
he does not represent because he doesn't
live here. His church is not here are
oppressed by Arabs doing well in this
community. Well, I'm not even from this
community. I came here today. I have
ventured all throughout this entire
community. And you know what I didn't
see? I didn't see any signs that said
Arabs only or whites only. I seen black
business owners. I seen black people
driving nice cars in this city. And I
just have one thing to say to you. Since
you're so obsessed with gas stations,
Pastor Lorenzo, why don't you take some
of that Israeli money and buy a gas
station and give it to YOUR BLACK
NEIGHBOR? HOW ABOUT THAT? [applause]
NOW I have one other thing that I need
to say here and that is when it comes to
Jake Lang, Jake Lang loves to proclaim
that he is a crusader against Muslims.
Jake Lang loves to wear timu armor
without any plates in him to pretend
that he's a soldier when he never served
in the United States military. Jake Lang
is such a tough guy. Then I have a
suggestion for the council to take into
consideration. I'm from Las Vegas. Go
Raiders, by the way. I feel sorry for
your Detroit Lions cuz we're going to be
better this year. With that being said,
since Jake Lang loves Dearborn so much,
I challenge him to face me in the ring
in 90 days right here in Dearbornne,
Michigan, WHERE WE CAN SELL TICKETS that
will benefit the city of Dearbornne. And
if he wants TO PUT HANDS ON a Muslim,
let him do it to me. A white redblooded
American Muslim. That's all I got to
say. Jake Lang, I know you can hear me.
And if you can't, I know you'll see my
video cuz you follow me.
[applause]
» All right.
Okay. Uh, next we have Mr.
Scott.
He gave me this. Is there a Mr. Scott?
>> Jackie, take this back.
» Is he sir? Sir, hold on. Go to the
officer. Show them your identification
that your name is Scott. Mr. Scott.
>> Okay. You sit back in your seat or we'll
have you removed.
>> Which one you want?
>> All right.
Sir, sir, if you if you filled out a
card, you'll have your opportunity. If
not, have a seat, sir. Okay. Or you can
leave. All right. We have uh Robert
Pollowski. Yes, sir.
Yeah, there is a path here. Yeah. Or you
can come this way. Whatever's easiest
for you, sir.
Thank you, council. My fellow neighbors,
my name is Robert Plowski. I am from
Southgate, born and raised in Wayne
County, Michigan. I am not 10 minutes
from Dearborn. I am close to Dearbornne.
I spend my money, resources, and support
our community. And I stand in solidarity
with all of our residents, elected
officials, mayor, and city council. This
city is a beacon of hope. You have an
amazing administration all the way from
Mayor Hammud to our city council
president Sereni and our wonderful chief
of police Issa Shaheen. It would be my
dream to have leadership like you in my
community. But most of all, we are the
future. We built the F-150. We're home
to Ford. But most of all, we are home to
a community of diverse people. We have
the most diverse smart bus lines here in
our community that transport people back
and forth from downtown to the airport.
Two, we have the best food in the entire
United States of America.
>> And three, we have the amazing group of
people that are working class just like
us. And if Jake Land can see me, which I
know he will watch this video, be scared
because us Americans, we are the future
and we are not going anywhere. So speak
up. Speak your heart. But most of all,
no hate is allowed here and solidarity
with you all. But don't forget that
Dearbornne is the future. May God bless
America and God bless United States of
America and Dearbornne.
[applause and cheering]
» Okay, we have time for one more which is
Ronald Dwire.
>> Sure. Yes, sir. Thank you. Of course,
» dear esteemed council and mayor.
>> Okay.
All right.
» Okay.
» All right, folks. Folks, we have a
speaker ready to speak.
» Okay.
>> All right. Let the officers just make
sure they go out and then if there's
people now that we have room for others
that may want to come in, please make
sure there's afforded the opportunity
for others to come in. There's probably
about 15 or 20 seats. All right, sir.
Sorry. I apologize.
>> That's okay. I guess I just didn't want
to hear the truth that I'm about to
unveil.
>> You may begin.
>> Thank you.
>> All right. Uh my name is Ronald Dwire.
I'm actually uh the president of
American uh Council for Interfaith and
Cultural Relations. My organization
works with Christians and Muslims
bringing them together. We also work
with Native Americans and people of
other faiths. That being said, I was
involved in kind of what brought up this
brewhaha on August 2nd. I worked with uh
Shik Hasham who uh we put together the
Arbine Festival which is the festival
that honors Imam Hussein. And the reason
I got involved, I'm I'm an Irish
Catholic. Reason I got involved is
there's a lot of mixing between
Christians and Muslims throughout
history. In fact, if you study Imm
Hussein's story, he was a he was a hero
that stood up against an evil caliphate
and uh gave up all riches and defended
truth and honor and lost his life
because of it. That's what everybody was
celebrating. They honored this man every
year annually. And I was proud to be a
part of this event now through my
organization bringing Christians and
Muslims together. And I want to say
something, pastor. Oh, I see you left. I
guess he couldn't handle the truth
either. You know, you know, he he's got
a church of 12 people, so do do a little
research on him. He kind of stole the church from the previous uh
congregation. But anyways, uh I what I'm
saying is there's a lot of mixing
between Christians and Muslims. Muslims
believe a lot of the same things
Christians do. They believe in Jesus as
the Messiah, born of the Virgin Mary,
and that he will come again at the end
of time. Uh Mary is honored like uh
councilman or commissioner Bun said Mary
is mentioned in the chapter in the Quran
there's a lot of mixing a lot of mixing
Muslims and Christians if people just
started studying and and and getting to
know one another you would see that we
are a lot alike okay we have maybe a few
little differences in beliefs but
truthfully we have a lot more in common
than we do in difference and I want to
say another thing too even though I'm
part of internet interfaith organization
that I am president of uh pastor
Sealwell and another person I don't mean
any disrespect but there are a split
just like there is in the Democrat party
there's a split in the Republican party
and the Republican party had nothing I'm
a Republican I serve on the 11th
congressional district had nothing to do
with this event in fact many of the vice
chairs came out and spoke out against
this they said this is not what we
wanted to hating.
>> I'm sorry.
>> You have 30 seconds.
>> Oh, 30 seconds. Okay. So, they I want
people to know that too that don't hate
every Republican. I don't hate every
Democrat. Look at I'm a Republican. Sam
Bun is a Democrat. I consider Sam a
friend. Look, I'm going to after I
finish this speech here, I'm going to
come down and shake uh Abdullah Hammud's
hand. Okay? You know what? He's got a
lot of unfair treatment. He got beaten
up because he chastised a guy that has
been a known
>> I'm sorry your time has expired.
>> Okay. Thank you, sir. Got to shake your
hand. [applause]
» After after Ron you got it. Yeah. Just
have a seat there. Thank you. All right.
At this time, we have completed our 30
minutes. Mr. Clerk, is that correct?
>> Yes.
>> Okay. the council rules um completed our
first council uh public speaking uh
opportunity. There'll be another one at
the end of the meeting once um we
complete our business agenda items.
Anyone here um curious to wait till the
end and then they will be called uh in
the cards we will call you after. Okay.
If you are leaving sir there's no
outburst. Okay. If you you have Connie
this gentleman has a question see if you
can help. They'll help you sir. Okay.
And um
uh just keep in mind if you are leaving
the auditorium just to try to do it in
an orderly manner. All right. At this
time before we move on to our consent
agenda, are there any uh items of which
any member would wish to remove from the
consent agenda and discuss individually?
>> All right. Hearing uh hearing none, Mr.
Clerk, can we proceed? Item number six
is a resolution in need of offer and
support approving all the items of the
consent.
>> Sorry, I didn't hear offered
>> Councilman Abraham.
>> Councilman Enos.
>> Enos. Okay. We have an offer by
Councilman Enos supported by Councilman
Robert Abraham.
>> All right. Uh, Mr. Clerk, can we have
the roll call?
>> Council President.
>> Yes, sir.
>> Mayor,
>> I just wanted Oh my god.
>> Yeah. I'm sorry. All right. Um, we do
have an offer in support
um for this item. We're gonna pause real
quick. Mayor, go ahead.
>> Uh, thank you so much. Um,
before we get into the agenda, I wanted
to take a moment just to offer some
reflections and some words over the
events that have unfolded.
And I actually would like to share
a story regarding a moment that happened
earlier today. Um, I was out on one of
our neighborhood walks. And for those
who follow me on social media or follow
the work of the city, we do many of
neighborhood walks week in and week out,
especially throughout the summer. It was
an ordinary morning in Dearborn, just
like any other day. Residents were
outside. We're talking about sidewalks
and tree stumps and property maintenance
issues, all the things that make up the
everyday work of building a city. And
while we were at the park, a group of
children walked up and amongst them was
a young boy, not older than six or
seven. and he looked at me and he asked
if the quote unquote crusaders that were
coming were coming to kill him.
And I paused. I I paused longer than I
probably should have, long enough for
the neighborhood police officer that was
with us to actually interject and to
assure the young child that he would be
safe, that he should go about his day
and enjoy the park like he would any
other day. I paused because I never
expected that question.
And as a father, I I haven't been able
to stop thinking about it.
Children that age should be thinking
about what game they're going to the
park to play.
They should be thinking about whether
they can have another scoop of ice cream
at the end of the night. They should be
wondering if they'll get an extra hour
before time for bed. They should not be
wondering whether someone wants to kill
them because of how their family prays.
But our children are listening. They
hear our conversations. They see the
headlines and they notice when their
parents are worried. And that little boy
reminded me that what is happening
outside is not just political theater.
Fear has consequences.
So tonight, I want to speak directly to
him. And I want to speak to every
resident of Dearbornne who has felt that
fear. I want to boldly say that you
belong here. That you belong here as
much as anyone else. And generations of
people who built this city prove it.
Dearbornne was built by people with
different names, different accents,
different traditions, and different ways
of worshiping God. Some traced their
roots here generations. Others arrived
with little more than a suitcase and
hope. They worked the assembly lines.
They opened small businesses. They
taught our children. They have served
our country. They built houses of
worship. They built homes next to people
who did not look like them. And
somewhere along the way, strangers
became neighbors. They shared a meal
across the fence line. That is
Dearbornne. And that is the story of
America.
Yesterday, I stood alongside Christian
clergy from across our city. People
whose theological traditions may be
different, but whose message yesterday
was remarkably similar. Love thy
neighbor. Care for the vulnerable. Feed
the hungry. Welcome the st the stranger.
and stand against hatred. Dearborn is
home to more than 30 churches and
roughly a dozen mosques. And each and
every single week, tens of thousands of
people walk through those doors to
participate with their congregations.
They may pray differently, but they pray
for many of the same things. for their
children to be safe, for their families
to be healthy, for peace, for justice,
for dignity, for the strength to leave
this world a little better than they
inherited it. So when people portray
Dearbornne as some place that have been
overtaken by Muslims, they aren't simply
attacking our Muslim and Arab
communities. They're also trying to
erase our Christian brothers and sisters
who have contributed immeasurably to the
city and folks of other faith of other
backgrounds or of no faith at all who
have all contributed to the Dearborn
that we all love and cherish today. And
ultimately they're attacking something
much larger than any one faith or
community. They are attacking the idea
that all of us can belong to America at
the same time.
There are people outside tonight whose
idea of America is much smaller than
ours. An America where belonging comes
with conditions. Where your name
matters. Where your ancestry matters.
Where the direction which you pray
somehow determines whether you are
sufficiently American. I reject that
vision for our country. Because what
matters is not the articles of your
faith. What matters is the content of
your character, the kindness in your
heart. Do you provide for your family?
Do you check in on your neighbor? Do you
help someone when they're struggling?
And do you leave your community better
than how you found it? Those are the
things by which we should measure one
another. I've always believed that there
is something exceptional about the
American experiment. Not because
Americans are inherently better than
anybody else, but because of the
audacity of the promise that we have all
made to one another. that people could
come here from every corner of the earth
carrying different stories and
traditions, worshiping God differently
or not at all and somehow build one
country together.
That promise has never been perfectly
fulfilled. But every generation has had
to fight to make it more real. And now
it is our turn to carry on that fight.
Tonight, the choice before us is
actually quite simple. We can allow fear
to make our lives smaller or we can
allow community to make us stronger.
I know some families are afraid right
now. Many families have reached out and
told me how they have changed their
plans for the day. Practices for youth
football has been cancelled. My daughter
was not taken to daycare today. Some
parents kept their children at home who
wanted them a little closer. Some
residents decided not to open up their
business stores today because of the
events unfolding. And I understand that
instinct. But we cannot surrender our
everyday lives to someone else's hatred.
Our police officers are doing their
jobs. I will do my job. This council
will do its job. They are protecting
this community and protecting the
constitutional rights of everyone in it.
So let them do their job. And you live
your life. Let the kids chase each other
at the splash pad. Play another game of
soccer. Grab coffee with a friend. Fire
up that grill and open up your business
tomorrow morning. Sit on the porch with
your neighbor. Break bread and share in
that meal. Visit your parents. Go to
church on Sunday. Go to the synagogue on
Saturday. Go to the mosque on Friday. Or
sit at home. Pray exactly as you have
always prayed. Don't bother changing for
anyone because the greatest victory we
can hand those who seek to divide us
would be allowing them to convince us to
be afraid of being ourselves. and we
will not give them that victory.
Instead, we're going to do what Dearborn
has always done. We're going to keep
opening our doors because one of the
most powerful antidotes to fear is
simply knowing one another. I've met
people over the years who have come to
Dearbornne genuinely nervous. They have
watched something on television. They've
read something online or followed some
of the comedians that were here earlier,
heard someone describe the city as a
place that they should fear. And then
they came here. They walked our
neighborhoods. They met our residents.
Someone welcomed them welcomed them into
their businesses. Someone started the
conference. And ultimately, as is the
tradition in Dearborn, put a meal in
front of them. And somewhere between
that first handshake and the last bite
of that meal, something changed. The
caricature of who we are disappeared and
dissipated because a stranger became a
person. and fear gave away to
understanding because hatred needs
distance.
It needs us to remain strangers.
Community closes that distance. So to
anyone watching tonight who doesn't know
Dearbornne but thinks they know
Dearbornne, I have an invitation for
you. Come visit us. Come experience this
city and come experience this community.
And most importantly, come break bread
with us. Ask questions. Tell us your
story and listen to ours. Our doors are
open. Our table as h has room because
the longer the table, the stronger the
table. Dearbornne welcomes everybody and
that will not change under our watch.
And to that little boy that I met this
morning, I want you to go be a kid.
Go play with your friends. Laugh too
loudly. Get in trouble at home. Push the
time limit in which you have to come
back to the house.
Because the response to those who
believe America's promise should belong
to fewer people is not for us to retreat
into our homes or make ourselves
smaller. It is to demonstrate each and
every single day just how beautiful
America can be when that promise belongs
to each and every single one of us. This
is the Dearborn that we will protect and
that is the Dearborn that we will pass
on to generations and generations. God
bless this city. God bless the most
beautiful people I've ever met who
reside in the city, who patronize the
city, and God bless this country. Thank
you.
[applause]
All right. Thank you. Thank you, mayor.
[applause]
Thank Thank you, Mayor. Okay. Thank you,
mayor. Thank you.
All right. Uh, Mr. Mr. Clerk, you had an
offer in support on resolution number
six. Can we have a roll call vote,
please?
>> Council member O'Reilly,
>> yes.
>> Council member Enos,
>> yes.
>> Council member Paris,
>> yes.
>> Council member Abraham,
>> yes.
>> Council member Hammude,
>> Council Member Alawi,
>> Council President Sereni,
>> yes.
>> Seven yays. The resolution passes.
>> All right. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Can we
have the next item of business?
We will move on to item number 31.
Resolution by council members Paris and
O'Reilly approving the minutes of the
previous special open meeting of July
22nd, 2026.
>> All right. Thank you, Mr. Mr. Clerk. Are
there any additions, deletions, or
modification to these minutes?
All right. Hearing and see none. Any
objection to unanimous role?
Unanimous ro shall be attached. Next
item.
>> Item 32. Resolution by council members
O'Reilly and Paris approving the minutes
of the previous regular meeting of July
14th, 2026.
Um, open meeting, I'm sorry, the
previous regular meeting of July 26th.
>> All right. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Are
there any additions, deletions, or
modification to these minutes?
Any objection to unanimous role?
The unanimous ro should be attached.
Next item.
>> Item 33 is an ordinance on the table.
Ordinance number 26-1870,
an ordinance to amend the zoning
ordinance of the city of Dearborn by
amending article 18 entitled 1A light
industrial district and article 22
entitled TR Technology and Research
District resolution by council members
Alswafi and O'Reilly to take from the
table for its final reading. All right,
thank you Mr. Clerk and Nashville should
be attached to take from table for its
final reading. The planning and zoning division is
proposing an amendment uh to the city of
Dearborn zoning ordinance regarding the
use of classification of data
processing. Uh due to the rapid
technology advancements, modern data
centers have evolved into high density
and intense industrial facilities that
are no longer compatible with the way
data processing is currently classified
in our zoning ordinance. As presently
written, these uh these facilities may
be permitted under uh under the existing
data processing use classification
despite their large scale uh site design
and potential impacts of surrounding
properties which are inconsistent with
the purpose of the intent of the city
zoning regulations. The proposed
amendment updates the zoning ordinance
by removing data processing as a
permitted use in industrial a light
industry and TR which is uh technology
research districts. Under the amendment,
the data centers would be instead
permitted in the industrial D, which is
general industrial district where all
uses are not expressly prohibited by the
ordinance that are allowed. This is the
second and final reading. Is there any
questions or comments on this item?
» Councilman,
>> uh, I do want to thank the, uh, planning
and zoning department, the
administration for being proactive on
this. I know it was a permitted use and
I think it's a good thing that we're
cleaning it up now so that we don't end
up with hypers scale data centers where
we don't intend them if we were ever
going to allow them. Right now it's
really loosey goosey and this is a good
uh way to clean it up. So thank you
guys.
>> All right. Any other questions or
comments?
>> All right. Any object? I'm sorry, Mr.
Clerk. We need uh the final reading.
Yes, this is the final reading of
ordinance number 26-1870, an ordinance
to amend the zoning ordinance of the
city of Dearbornne by amending article
18.0 entitled 1A, light industrial
district, and article 22 entitled TR
Technology and Research District.
>> Right. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Can we have
a roll call vote?
>> We'll start with Council Member Paris.
>> Yes.
>> Council member Abraham,
>> yes.
>> Council member Hammud,
>> yes.
>> Council member Alawafi,
>> yes. Council President Serini,
>> yes.
>> Council member O'Reilly,
>> yes.
>> Council member Enos,
>> yes.
>> Seven yays. The ordinance passes. Thank
you, Mr. Clerk. We have to the next
item. Item 34, resolution by council
members Abraham and O'Reilly authorizing
the use and closure of West Village
Drive between the east and west parking
decks adjacent to Peace Park West and
the use of the closure of the basement
level within both the East and West
parking structure in the West Dearborn
downtown Development Authority from 7:00
a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Friday, September
25th for the Dearborn Coffee Week
opening event. also granting a noise
waiver for the duration of the event and that these approvals be extended to be rescheduled to a rescheduled date
if needed and requesting immediate
effect. All right. Thank you, Mr. Kirk.
The West uh Dearborn Downtown Authority
Development Authority is requesting
approval for a street closure, parking
de uh parking deck spot closures and
noise ordinance waiver for Dearborn
Coffee Week opening. The event will
begin on September 25th of this year.
Specifically, the WDDDA requests a
street closure on West Village Drive
between East and West decks adjacent to
the park peace park west from 7 a.m. to
11 p.m. on September 25th. They're also
requesting a closure of the basement
level of the east west parking decks um
for dedicated vendor service for the
same time and same date and also
requesting noise waiver on the same date
as well. Additional is being requested.
The approval is be extended for a
rescheduling date if the event has
canceled due to weather. Immediate
effect is being requested um to begin
the planning for the fall season as it's
coming right around. Any questions or
comments on this item?
Any objection to unanimous role?
Unamous shall be attached. Next item.
35, resolution by council members
O'Reilly and Paris, authorizing the use
and closure of West Village Drive
between East and West parking structures
and closure of the basement of the east
parking deck from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00
p.m. on Saturday, December 12th, 2026
for the West Dearborn Downtown
Development Authorities's annual Jingle
Bell Bash event. Also granting a noise
waiver for the duration of the event and
that these approvals be extended to a
rescheduled date if needed and
requesting immediate effect. Thank you,
Mr. Clerk. This is similar to the last
uh ordinance, the last uh resolution
that went through West Downtown, the
West EDA, and our jingle bash for
December 12th, 2026 with closures of
both the parking deck, the West Village
Drive, and as well as a noise uh
ordinance as well. Any questions or
comments on this item?
Any objection to unanimous role?
should be attached. Next
item.
>> Item 36, resolution by council members
Paris and O'Reilly authorizing a sole
source purchase from Oakland County in
the amount of $226,000
for the membership and maintenance fees
for Clemus mobile data computer system
for fiscal year 2026 for the fire and
police departments and requesting
immediate effect.
>> All right. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. The
city's police department, fire
department are active users of the
clemens program which are recently uh
I'm sorry which was was recently run by
the Oakland County and has now been re
uh constituted into an independent
public agency. The membership uses rates
are based on the number of full-time
equivalent sworn officers and users at
each agency. The costs of the system are
shared by all users with rates set by
the Clemus advisory committee board. The
use of cleis program is essential to the
operations of both the police and fire
department. The police department fire
department in conjunction with
purchasing is recommending a soul source
purchase of this membership with
maintenance fees in the amount of
$226,000
and is requesting immediate effect. Any
questions or comments on this item?
Any objection to unanimous role?
should be attached. Next
item, item 37, resolution by council
members O'Reilly and Nelafi awarding a
contract to DMC Consultants, Inc. in the
amount of 1,952,353
for construction services for fire
department station renovations. Thank
you, Mr. Clerk. The city of Dearbornne
operates four fire department stations
inside of our borders with interior
updates and modernization due to support
continued service for our community. The
following uh completion and design phase
bids were solicited and for construction
of fire stations 1 2 3 and four. Uh the
project includes all necessary
demolition, removal, label, materials
and associated with the reser with the
renovations. Uh purchasing on behalf of
the fire department recommends the
awarding the contract to DMC uh
consultants incorporated with the lowest
responsive and responsible bid in the
amount of 1,952,353.
Any questions or comments on this?
Right. Any objection to unanimous role?
should be attached. Next
item. Item 38 is a resolution by council
members Paris and O'Reilly approving the
fiscal year 2027 smart municipal and
community credit uh contract in the
total amount of $345,81321
and requesting immediate effect. Thank
you, Mr. C. The city of Dearborn
partners with Smart to provide
transportation services for Dearborn
residents within the city. During a
typical week, the program provides curb
tocurb transportation to approximately
200 seniors and individuals individuals
with disabilities each week. The service
operates Monday through Friday from 8:30
a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the cost of only $1
each way, $2 for a round trip. No
resident is denied transportation due to
financial hardship as well. In addition,
the Dearborn seniors uh age 65 and older
who provide valid proof of residency are
eligible to receive free bus tickets
established by our smart routes. Any
questions or comments? Great program
here in Dearborn. Right. We need more
people to take advantage of that. Any
objection to unanimous role?
All right. Un should be attached. Next
item.
>> Item 39. Resolution by council members
in Paris granting the request of the UAW
local 600 to host its all-American
classic car show event in the parking
lot located at 1055
Dicks on Saturday August 29th 2026 from
11:00 a.m. to 6 p.m. with assistance
from the police department for temporary
road closures on Fernie and Dixs and
Fernie and Verer. also granting a noise
waiver for the duration of the event and
requesting immediate effect.
>> All right. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Uh, the
UAW Local 600 is requesting approval to
host a UAW All-American Classic Car Show
on Saturday, August 29th, 2026 from
11:00 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event is
intended to celebrate Dearborn's rich
automotive history heritage uh while
bringing residents and and and visitors
together with a goal of establishing the
car show as an annual traditional event
through the city and particularly in the
South End community. To ensure the
safety of the attendees, the UAW and
local 600 is requesting a temporary road
closures that we'll receive from uh the
city of Dearborn as well as from Wayne
County as well. Um there's also requests
for immediate effect and a noise
ordinance waiver. Any questions or
comments on this item?
Any objection to unanimous role?
shall be attached. Next
item. Item 40 is a resolution by council
members O'Reilly and Elsawi granting the
request of the UAW local 600 to host its
annual trunk or treat event in the
parking lot located at 10550 Dixs on
Saturday, October 24th, 2026 from 3:00
p.m. to 8:00 p.m. with assistance from
the police department for temporary road
closures at Fernie and Dixs and Fernie
and Verer. Also granting a noise waiver
for the duration of the event and
requesting immediate effect.
>> All right. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. The UAW
Local 600 is also requesting to host its
annual trunk or treat on Saturday,
October 24th of this year at 3 p.m. to
8:00 p.m. for all safety and attendees.
They're requesting authorization of road
closures and intersections of Fernie and
Dixs as well as Fernie and uh Verer for
the duration of the event. Uh it is
noted that the Wayne County will also
provide a separate permit for those road
closures. Additionally, they're
requesting a noise or ordinance waiver
for the duration of the event with
immediate effect. Any questions or
comments on this?
Any objection to the unanimous role?
should be attached. Next
item, item 41. Resolution by council
members Abraham and Alawi granting the
request of Zaman International to
conduct its 17th annual Zaman Run, Walk,
and Picnic on Saturday, September 19th,
2026 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
resulting in the temporary use and
closure of the northbound lane of Brady
Street between Cherry Hill and the River
Rouge Gateway Trail subject to the
reimbursement for city services, all
applicable ordinances, and the rules and
regulations of the police department.
also granting a noise waiver for the
duration of the event and requesting
immediate effect.
>> All right. Thank you, Mr. Cork. This is
the 17th time you read this and it's
Zaman
Fun Rock, but we got it. Sometimes we
have to get that correct. Zaman Zaman
Run and Walk Picnic 17th year.
Tremendous organization. Uh it is uh on
Saturday, September 19th, 2026 with the
setup beginning at 8 a.m. and a tear
down at 2 p.m. Approximately 2,000
attendees are expected. This event will
have a 5K run, opening ceremonies, a 5K
walk, uh two kids runs, and a community
picnic. All proceeds will go to Zaman
for their uh for its program is
assisting families experience extreme
poverty throughout southeastern
Michigan. A waiver of noise ordinance is
also being requested. Any questions or
comments? Council Mafi.
You you ran once though. You Yeah, you
did ran it. Yeah.
>> This year straight to the picnic day.
It's a great event, folks. They do a
tremendous work in our community and
we'd like to thank them. Any uh any
other questions or comments? Any
objection? Unanimous role?
Your national should be attached. Next
item. Item 42, resolution by council
members O'Reilly and Paris granting the
request of Dearborn High School to
conduct its annual homecoming parade on
Friday, September 25th, 2026 from 4:45
p.m. to 5:30 p.m. subject to all
applicable ordinances and the rules and
regulations of the police department.
Also granting a noise waiver for the
duration of the event and requesting
immediate effect.
>> All right. Thank you, Mr. Clerk.
Dearborn High School is requesting
approval to host its annual homecoming
parade on Friday, September 25th, 2026
at 4:45 p.m. to 5:30 with an um
anticipated attendance of approximately
500 people. A waiver of the city's noise
ordinance is also being requested for
the duration with immediate effect. So,
back to school time. Any questions or
comments? Any objection to unanimous
role?
should be attached. Next
item,
>> item 43, resolution by council members
Alawi and O'Reilly, authorizing the
finance director to recognize and
appropriate the fiscal year 2027
Southeast Michigan Council of
Governments, also known as SEMCOG
Planning Assistant Program Award for the
Dearborn Schools Quarter Traffic Study
Project in the amount of $32,740
with a local match requirement in the
amount of $7,260
and requesting immediate effect.
>> Thank you, Mr. Clerk. The city has been
awarded $32,740
through fiscal year 2027 from SE uh
SAMCOG Planning Assistance Program to
conduct pedestrian and traffic safety
studies at our four high priority school
area corridors and evaluate the
feasibility and and of high density uh
active crosswalks and signals for
pedestrian safety throughout our city.
The study will focus on four locations
uh that experience significant traffic
for students and families in the
neighborhood and residents along. The
project cost is $40,000 including
$32,740
is a grant from SEMCOG and the city's
match of $7,260.
Any questions or comments on this item?
Any objection to unanimous role?
Unan should be attached. Next item,
>> item 44, resolution by council members
O'Reilly and Abraham, authorizing the
finance director to recognize the
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
through the land and water conservation
fund grant award for the development of
a splash pad at Camp Dearborn in the
amount of $500,000 and to appropriate
$500,000 in the general fund balance to
the Camp Dearborn operating budget as a
transfer to the facility fund and to
recognize and appropriate the transfer
for the local match. and requesting
immediate effect.
>> Thank you, Mr. Clerk. The Michigan
Department of Natural Resources or DNR
and the US Department of Interior
National Park Service have approved the
city of Dearborn to receive $500,000
in land and water conservation uh fund
grant for the development of a splash
pack uh splash pad park at Camp
Dearbornne, including relative
accessibility and site improvements. If
this uh if this request this is also
being requested that the chief financial
officer be authorized to recognize and
appropriate the same. Any questions or
comments
like to thank our grants departments for
uh tremendous job well needed and it's
going to make a big difference out there
and the parks department but I will note
that she sat in the first role somebody
chose to sit in the second row. So we
appreciate you sitting in the front row
there for us. [laughter]
>> Any questions or comments? Any
objection? Unanimous role. Unanimous
role shall be attached. Next item,
>> item 45, resolution by council members
Paris and O'Reilly, authorizing the
purchase of the 50 foot by 250 foot
portion of the property located at 19501
Outer Drive, which contains the fire
safety house from the Dearborn public
schools for the amount of $5,000 and up
to an additional amount of $10,000 for
closing costs. also authorizing the
mayor and corporation council or his
designate to execute documents on behalf
of the city to effectuate this
transaction and requesting immediate
effect.
All right. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. The
fire safety house is used annually by
the Dearborn Fire Department to provide
fire and safety life safety education to
third grade students at the Dearborn
public schools for various and various
private schools. Uh after many years of
use, it's it's uh been agreed that the
city of Dearbornne will purchase this
property to make renovations from the
schools uh from the Dearbornne school
system. The city assessor has valuated
prop valuated the property at
approximately $30,100. They're
requesting immediate effect. Any
questions or comments on this item? Any
objection to unanimous role? Chief, you
want to speak on it? No, we're good.
Yeah, we're good. Thank you. Unanimous
role should be attached. Next item,
>> item 46, resolution by council members
O'Reilly and Elsawi, granting the
request of the Kuanas Club of
Dearbornne, uh 48124 to hold its annual
peanut street sales and solicit
contributions at various public roadways
throughout the city from 7:00 a.m. to
700 p.m. on September 10th, 11th, 12th,
and 13, 2026 and requesting immediate
effect.
>> All right. Thank you, uh, Mr. Clerk. The
Kuanas Club of Dearborn has submitted
their annual request for uh council
approval to solicit for contributions in
the public uh roadway through the sale
of peanuts from uh 7:00 a.m. to 7:00
p.m. September 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th of
this year. Folks, if you're out there,
see them in the road. The peanuts are
phenomenal and the cause is even better.
So, help support the Quantis Club.
They're doing a great job. Any questions
or comments on this item? Any objection?
Unanimous role. Unanimous role should be
attached. Next item, item 47, resolution
by council members O'Reilly and Paris,
concurring in the appointment of Marilla
Willlet to the East Dearborn Downtown
Development Authority with a term ending
June 30th, 2030.
>> All right. Uh, thank you. Uh, this
appointment by Maria Willlet for the
East Dearborn Downtown Authority for a
term of four years. The term will end
June 30th, 2030. I just like to remind
everyone that are serving on our
commissions. I would like to thank them.
These are volunteer positions and are
extremely important to help assist the
city government uh in in our operations.
Any uh question or comments? Any
objection? Unanimous role?
Okay. Unanimous role should be attached.
Next item.
>> Item 48 is a resolution by council
member O'Reilly and Paris concurring in
the appointment of Maria Willlet to the
West Dearborn Downtown Development
Authority with a term ending June 30th,
2030.
>> Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Well, thank you
Mar uh Miss Willlet for also uh being
willing to serve on our West Downtown uh
Authority, a four-year term that will
end on June 30th, 2030.
Any questions or comments? Any
objection? Unanimous role.
should be attached. Next
item.
>> Item 49, resolution by council members
Alawi and Hammud concurring in the
appointment of Claudia Hammud to the
library commission with a term ending
June 30th, 2029.
>> All right. Thank you again. I would like
to recognize the appointment of Claudia
Hammud to our library commission for the
term ending in for a three-year term
that will end on June 30th, 2029.
Any questions or comments?
>> No relation to me or the mayor.
>> Right. That is true. No relation to
either one of you.
>> Question.
>> Uh yes. Question for live. This is an
appointment, sir. And
>> Yes, sir. Okay. If you can, you could
step to the microphone. You'll be you'll
be able to address it. Yes, sir. You
there's a little corridor here, sir. If
you if you like, you could get through
there.
» Right where the officers, there's a
microphone. Sir,
» what safeguards require library
commission members to apply viewpoint
neutral collection and access policies
rather than favoring or suppressing
political, religious, cultural, or
ideological viewpoints?
and what process exists for residents to
challenge a library commission decision
they believe violates their principles.
>> Thank you, sir. Yeah, th those questions
are better addressed to our library
commission. So there there is on our
website their meetings and you will be
able to uh speak to them and you'll be
able to get those answers.
>> I appreciate it. All right. Any
objection to unanimous role on the
appointment of Claudia Hammud?
>> Okay. Unanous role should be attached.
Next item.
>> Uh Mr. President. No further items on
tonight's agenda.
>> All right.
I have just a couple for
myself. Um I just wanted to recognize
some outstanding achievements in our
community
um this last few months, and they happen
to be all women, which is always a great
thing. Uh Zana Alh Hassan, a personal
friend and a tremendous um individual
who's also on our planning commission,
was elected vice president of the Kresge
Foundation, and we wanted to recognize
that for her. It's a tremendous, event.
All right. Thank you. Uh in for our uh
community access, uh we have a
retirement by Mrs. Mah over 35 years. If
some of you guys ever watch a YouTube
video, you'll see her as a very very
young lady uh when access began in the
south end of Dearbornne uh in the late
70s. Uh 35 years she is retiring. We
like and to be said her dream um and
fulfillment which hopefully will be
coming at the end of this month or next
month. new access treatment, drug and
rehabilitation treatment center in our
city of Dearborn on Michigan Avenue in
the east Dearborn side near Wyoming uh
will be realized because of her um her
tremendous work. I'd like to also
recognize Lena Haraji, a personal friend
of mine, classmate uh that is taking
over as the next CEO. Uh she has been
working with Access for at least 15 to
20 years. Tremendous job. Um it's great
to see organizations that have planned
secessions and and have a real plan. and
they're doing tremendous work at access
and would like to recognize both those
ladies. We also have one of our bright uh people
from our school systems, Mesa Ali Bazzy
um who was recently tooken from our
school system like many of them do and
to go to the state boards and she is
going to be ex being um appointed or
working been uh been appointed to work
as the chief deputy of the Michigan
Department of Education. is a tremendous
honor to have our school system people
uh continue to move up into the state
and it just shows you what uh kind of
work has been done in here in Dearmore.
So I'd like to make sure we recognize
that as well. Thank you.
Um
for um for myself for my colleagues,
anything from my colleagues before we
move on to the administration or mayor?
All right. Uh mayor, anything from the
administration?
Thank you, Mr. Clerk. anything from your
department?
>> I'm all set tonight. Thank you.
>> All right. Uh so now we will u move into
our final part which will be our public
speaking um duration. Just a kind
reminder, same rules follow. We have
several cards here. I do know that there
might been some people that may have uh
exited. So I will give a little bit of
time to make sure that no one is outside
or can we make the assumption that
they're all inside that want to speak
since there's space?
>> Okay. Thank you, Chief. All right. Okay.
First we have Mr. Muhammad Saab.
So just kind reminder it's back there.
Yep.
» Good evening everybody. My name is
Muhammad Sab. I'm a student at Wayne
State University in the College of
Engineering just down the road from
here. After tonight, Dearbornne will
once again go viral. The clips of us in
our city are already being cut, and once
again, our city will be shown to
millions of people who have never set a
foot in it. While the eyes of the
country are on us, I'd rather they see
something positive than what those
filled with hate brought them here to
see. Dearborn is a city full of
remarkable people. We have doctors,
lawyers, engineers, business owners,
tradesmen, and families who put each
other first. If you are looking for
proof of the American dream, you do not
have to look past the city of Dearorn.
Understand what these men are. They are
not activists and they are not
preachers. They are merchants whose only
good to sell is fear.
It's a cheap product and it contains an
enormous margin. It requires no
evidence, no argument and no
acquaintance whatsoever with the person
whom it's sold against. And it asks of
you only one thing that you look at a
neighbor and you agree to see a
stranger. While we are busy buying fear
from these men, nobody's asking why a
family working hard cannot afford a home
or a doctor. Let me leave you with this
one statement. In a republic, the power
does not descend from a throne. It rises
from us, the people. That is the whole
of our strength, but it is also exactly
our weakness. Because a people who can
be persuaded can also just as easil
easily be deceived. Every lie that a
nation accepts for long enough becomes
the law that it lives under. Our defense
here in Dearbornne has never been anger,
nor has it ever been silence. It's been
education. Learn a thing before you
repeat it. Meet a person before you fear
them. And judge men and women by their
character, because that is the only
measure that has been and ever will be
fair. Hate is loud, but it's fragile. It
survives only when nobody bothers to
check where it comes from. Thank you.
Have a good night, everybody.
>> Thank you.
[applause]
» Okay, we have Muhammad Ali Bas.
>> Thank you.
Thank [clears throat] you everyone for
uh allowing me to speak. Thank you to
the city council and to Mayor Hammud for
everything he does for our great city.
As you can hear, my voice is raspy
because I was out there protesting
against agitators and unamericans who
come to Dearborn and spread fear.
This [clears throat] country was believe
was founded on the belief of freedom of
religious sorry. This country was
founded on the belief of freedom from
religious persecution like liberty and
the pursuit of happiness in which our
country was founded on and Dearborn as
the epide epitome of what America is
when it was America when it was America
that was attacked in Pearl Harbor. It
was the ArabAmerican population that
picked up the racks that jobs that
fought against fascism that fought
against fascists in Nazi Germany.
Though defeated in 1945, fascism hasn't
been rooted out and it's very evident
today. our people aren't any less
American than the next. So why is it
that these fascists come to Dearbornne,
preach on Sharia law while being the
same group that has invalidated the the
democratic processes and attempted to
storm the capital of the United States
in which we each contribute to our
country, to our nation, to its culture,
to its history, to its promises. Our
people refused to take a moral lashing
from people who wave the Nazi flags.
Americans died to fight off and against.
From people who voted to a man who
bombed a Iranian school girl, killing
over 10 girls. From Epsteiners and
January 6ers, our country, our city, our
county won't bow down to people who wish
to spread fear. Our country is built
upon the promise of America. And like
everyone here who has spoken, this is
what the promise of America is. cultural
acceptance, freedom, the pursuit of
happiness and religion. We won't be
religiously persecuted, and we won't be
made out to be victims, even if we are
the target of the United States. God
bless the United States, and God bless
the city of Dearbornne.
>> Thank you. Thank you,
Mr. Ab. Best Halloween.
» [applause]
» Thank you, Council President Serini. Uh,
thank you to members of the council to
Mayor Hammud.
I just feel so proud of Dearbornne
today.
I'm so proud of our leadership.
I'm proud. I'm so proud of every single
family out there
that is keeping its head down and just
going about our lives like we always
have.
I'm especially proud of all the kids out
there. And I want to we don't have kids
in the room, thank God, but I want to
speak just to the kids in Dearbornne
today.
My friends,
I know it's a scary time.
I was a kid once here in Dearbornne and
felt really scared because there was
this thing that was happening. There was
a guy who kept showing up in the city
and he was obsessed. It seemed like he
was obsessed with Dearborn. He kept
burning a Quran for some reason and it
made me feel very scared.
But the advice that I got from my mom
and my dad and my sister was that here
in Dearbornne, some people come and go.
But those folks, especially the ones
that are trying to divide us, they don't
know us. They don't live here. We live
here. They will come and go and we will
remain.
The beauty of Dearbornne, the strength
of Dearborn, the strength of our region
here in southeastern Michigan is our
diversity.
I kept my head down.
I ended up growing up and working at the
highest levels of our government. One
day I was working in the United States
capital and there was a small group of
people who had a very narrow idea of
what America is and who belongs in
America that came.
You might read about it at school. It
was on January 6th of 2021.
I was inside the capital working for a
member of Congress defending our
democracy, trying to certify an election
on that day. And there was a small group
of people that didn't want our democracy
to survive. They wanted to promote the
politics of division. One of those
people is the same guy who now is
showing up to Dearborn trying to say
that he's against just one religion. The
reality is that guy and a whole lot of
people like him,
>> you have 30 seconds remaining.
>> It's actually a very small number of
people.
>> They're not attacking a religion.
They're attacking an idea of America
that includes all of us. And so when
this guy and this distraction comes and
goes, we will be here and you will grow
up to continue strengthening one of the
most beautiful cities in the world
that's led by incredible people like our
mayor who I'm so proud of. Thank you,
Mr. Mayor, for your leadership today. It
really means a lot to me.
>> I'm sorry your time has expired.
>> Thank you, Aman Alansi.
Good evening, Mr. Mayor, members of the
C council. Uh, my name is Al Ani. I am a
lifelong resident of the city. Nine
months ago, I stood at the same
microphone on a day when two very
different visitors came to Dearbornne.
One came carrying every fear the
internet had sold him. He walked our
streets. He sat in our mosques. He spoke
with our neighbors. and he left the city
a changed man. He admitted out loud what
few are brave enough to say that he had
been lied to. In place of the danger he
was promised, he found hospital uh
hospitality.
He found dignity and he found a people
who treat a a stranger as if he he was
already a neighbor. The other group came
for none of that. They came to shout.
They came to film. They came to be seen.
And to them I said then and I'll say it
again tonight. Our table is still set.
There is a seat for you. There is a
plate of shawarma, a glass of Yemeni
tea. You don't know, you don't have to
agree with a single thing we believe to
break bread with us. And the invitation
still stands even tonight, even as
another so-called crusade is organized
at our doorstep. But some of the people
whom who most need to hear this these
words will never walk into this chamber.
So So tonight, let me speak past this
room to those who hold real power over
what happens next in 2024. I endorsed
Donald Trump for president. I was wrong.
I have never hidden it. I said so
plainly then and I'll say it again now
in front of my neighbors. I let my grief
over Gaza lead me to a decision I
regret. I own that mistake and because I
own it, I have earned the right to say
what comes next. Mr. President, the man
leading this march walks free because of
you. Your pardon gave him back his
liberty. And he has chosen to spend that
liberty targeting target targeting a
city whose own voters helped return you
to office. We did not come to you out of
blind loyalty. We came because we were
tired. Tired of the two parties that
seemed to answer to the same distant
interests. You asked for our trust. We
gave it. And in our hour of need, you've
given us silence. One sentence from you
would end this. Condemn the march. When
a Muslim nation gave you a gift of a
plane, there was no out outrage. But
when the same community asked only to be
left in peace in its own hometown, your
silence is louder than any bullhorn on
the streets. And to the Republicans who
just won their primaries, John James,
Mike Rogers, and the rest of the ticket,
I have a word for you, too. You want to
govern the state, you want to carry
Michigan's voice to Washington, then
hear me clearly. Dearborn is Michigan.
If you are the tireless workers you
claim to be on the campaign trail, 30
seconds remaining, then work for the
people of this country, not for the
spread of Islamophobia, not at the
command of any foreign lobby. Thomas Massie has shown what a that a
Republican can put his nation first and
stand firm under pressure. If you cannot
bring yourself to say one plain sentence
that you do not want a crusade in
Michigan, then you already have told
every family in the city exactly how
little we are worth to you. Now, let me
be clear about the what the January 6th
convict and those marching behind them
are really after. They did not come here
for conversation. They came to provoke
us to film our reaction time
>> and to turn our anger into division into
and to carry our division home like a
trophy. Their whole livelihoods depend
on this moment. So let's refuse to give
it to them and to the young people
especially
>> Mr. Alman.
>> Yeah.
>> I'm sorry. Your time is expired. Okay.
>> Thank you.
>> All right.
>> The noise will pass. Dearborn will
remain and so will we.
>> I mean
uh Mr. Degan. Anthony Degan.
25 year Dearborn
resident. Um, I just want to say first
of all, on behalf of all the local
Christians here, um, we wish that Jake
Lang would never ever come back to the
city of Dearbornne. Um it is it was the
least Christian rally I've ever seen in
my life. Um and I also want to say that
uh it is true that uh there are quite a
number of peaceful beautiful Muslims in
the city of Dearbornne. Okay. So with
that said that does not come at the
expense that there is in fact a smaller
contingent of radical Muslims in the
city of Dearborn that are not being
dealt with. Okay. So the what happened
to Jake Lang, I I completely disagree
with everything the man stands for, but
what happened to him was appalling and
it should it should never happen. If the
roles were reversed, there would be 20
squad cars descending on that parking
lot immediately. And there were plenty
in the area. I'm asking for the
Department of Justice, the FBI, the
Attorney General, whomever, to look into
the city of Dearbornne's policing
policies, and to look into the politics
that take place because it's not just
Jake Lang. Cam Higgby was assaulted.
Nothing was done about it. Uh Nick
Shirley had somebody recorded somebody
saying they wanted to murder him and
nothing was done about it. Okay, the
mayor loves to talk about the pig's head
story. I was there at that event at the
festival when that man brought that pig
head. What the mayor does not talk about
is that there was a group of angry young
Muslim men who assaulted that man
bleeding profusely and the police
arrested that man instead of those
people. They didn't talk to any one of
those young people. They arrested that
man and said if he came back he would be
permanently arrested. I myself have had
rocks thrown at me. Called an F Agot
white
I went to the police to report it. They
said they they did everything they could
to talk me out of reporting that. They I
had to go do my own work, get my own
surveillance uh uh footage from the Tim
Hortons. The guy knew everybody in the
store. He knew the assistant manager and
yet nothing was done. All the online
threats that we talk about that I see
every week on TCD Dearorn about all the
threats that are being made against the
Islamic community. What about the
threats that are being made by the
Islamic community? I was I've had
threats made against me after I opposed
Israel divestment. It was there was two
of us in the room in an echo chamber
full of people who were angry at us
online afterwards. People were saying
give us the name of those seconds
remaining.
>> Uh uh let's October 7th these nuts and uh you know who who are they? Give
us their public information and nothing
was done about it. Your your
representative smiled at me
condescendingly when I brought it up.
Miss Council President Serini, you you
scoffed at the idea that nothing would
be done about it. I went there. Nothing
was done about it. The county prosecutor
refused to to prosecute it. Okay. So,
Dearborn has a serious problem with
radicalism. We have homegrown time
expired. Your time is expired. But I'm
going to address a couple things that
was uh not true. Did you hear what you
said or you want us to play it back to
you? The Wayne County prosecutor refused
to process something.
>> Mhm.
>> Do you have a law degree?
>> No, I don't.
>> That's the question. No, I don't. This
is not
>> I don't have a law. So, we're not
playing around, but I know how to read.
>> Okay. The Wayne County prosecutor does
not answer to the city of Dearbornne.
They are the lawyers and they fus refuse
to prosecute. Okay. So, that's your
answer on that.
>> In regarding to Mr. Lang being
assaulted, he was arrested fourth with
Let's get that out of the way because
there's a lot of lies about that. He was
arrested fourth with was detained by our
police department and he and the person
that was arrested and accused of this
crime was also taken into federal
custody.
>> I saw at least 10 to 20 assaults. I saw
at least 10 to 20 assaults.
>> Mr. Mr. Degan, you asked a question.
There was a gentleman. There was four
arrests. Okay? And if you like to find
out the information, go ahead and find
out information. But do not sit here and
tell the people that we are lawless and
we did not follow the law because that
is the furthest from the truth. The man
was arrested and he was detained and
he's being charged and he's actually to
taken into federal custody.
>> You're saying man singular, there was
men plural.
>> Uh Mr. Mr. Degan, as I indicated, there
was four arrests. You're more than
welcome to find out through the foyer
process on who they were arrested and
then how they were charges through the
court process. That's the process we
have in this country. You can't pick and
choose which one you want to have.
That's the process when we arrest
people. That's our job to arrest them.
The prosecution job is part of the next
stage. That's not our job. You continue
say stuff that's not true. I'm not going
to
>> true. The online threats I have never
seen one Muslim person online
threat.
>> Mr. Degan, online threats are federal.
Okay.
Your chief of police said that they were
going to use all local, state, and
federal people to investigate threats.
They say the You say that the local DPD
monitors threats. They don't care
anything about it when it's somebody
like me who gets threatened. It's only
when it's a protected class that gets
threatened. Your own chief said it. I've
got screenshots and you want to talk
about reading. You can read that.
>> If you have if you have screenshots,
what I would recommend to you is that
any law-abiding citizen, there's a
process in this country. If you go to
the Dearborn Police Department, you're
not happy with that. What's happened,
you go to the state police department.
That's the way the process.
>> That's why I just called to the attorney
general, then go ahead and do it and and
then you'll go through the process.
You're more than welcome. That's your
right. Okay. If you're not happy with an
outcome of something, that's what's
great about our country. We have a
circle. You go through and you will get
justice. If if you're what you're saying
is true, it will happen. So go through
the process. That's all I'm asking you
for. Okay.
Next. [applause]
Next speaker. Sure. You're all set. Next
speaker have Zuher Abdulhak. Would you
like to still speak?
>> Okay. Thank you.
can come this way. Oh, okay.
Whatever. Yeah, whatever.
Good evening, Zab.
When I came to this country in 1977,
I left my country because of the civil
war with my three brothers. I arrived to
this country to New York airport was
$913.
I didn't speak one word of English.
In four years I had engineering degree
from Wayne State University in 1981.
My brothers has BSS
in economic and biology.
We came to this country. We paid our
dues. We use the law. We use the
procedures. We use what's available, the
opportunities of this country which are
available to everybody who sat here, Mr.
Lorenzo, in a claim we took from them
and we took from them and we we got all
our riches from on on their backs.
We paid our dues. We worked seven days a
week. We slept in one room, three of us.
In Highland Park,
we lived like everybody else. We took
the buses. We froze our feet when we
waited for half an hour
to take the bus from one place to one
place to go to our classes into our
work.
The constitution of this country is a
great document. It gives everybody the
right
to live their life free, to do what they
want, to worship who they want.
And Mr. Lang, he has every right to burn
the book, to do whatever he wants to
with it. But he cannot tell us who we
worship because the only thing I worship
and every citizen in this country should
worship is the constitution of this
country because it over
you know it supersede the Quran, the
Bible and the Torah because we all live
under that constitution. We all
guaranteed our rights under that
constitution.
So God bless this country. God bless
this council in this city tonight. You
guys proved that you are a great
leaders.
You deserve to be up there and I thank
all our residents who none of them
>> 30 seconds or did anything illegal.
Again, thank you and God bless you.
>> Thank you, [applause]
Mr. O'Cra. You're next, sir. Glenn
O'Cra, thank you.
» I just want to tell the uh city
officials here, I love you all.
>> God bless you.
>> We love you too,
>> Mayor. Your your talk really touched me.
I was born in the predecessor to Oakwood
Hospital
and I went to Sacred Heart for 12 years,
grades uh 1 through 12.
And the nuns whom I was very critical of
u years ago, I also have grown to really
love for the sense of social justice
that they gave me.
What I saw tonight outside and within
this hall on the part of many people is
not reflective of Christianity. It's
just the opposite.
I would just like to go on record that I
believe that the spirit of the gospel
has not been followed as it should be.
My heart goes out to all Muslims.
Very sad what you are going through.
I wish you all the best. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Mr. Okra. [applause]
» Tiffany Alexander.
Thank you, ma'am.
» I'm short. There we go. Hello. Um,
as said, my name is Tiffany. Um, first,
can I just apologize for the other
people who came up here looking like me,
uh, I am so sorry and hum unbelievably
embarrassed and like to crawl into a
hole at that moment. So, please, when
you see people that look like me, do not
make that assumption. And please think
about what you have to how lost you have
to be to look like me and follow Jack
Jake, whatever his name is, Lang, okay,
who said, "Black parents are failures.
Black culture is disgusting."
Uh, told a bunch of black protesters
they were chimping around and made
monkey noises at black teenagers. So,
just imagine how lost of a soul you have
to be. So, I don't want to make this
about that.
I have been part of the community of
Dearbornne all 47 years of my life. My
mother currently lives here. Both of her
neighbors are Muslim. Um and
they have been My mother's elderly, not she's very independent because I'm
sure she's watching. Um and her
neighbors have always taken care of care
of her. They look out for her. I have
patronized the restaurants, the coffee
houses of this community for many
decades and I am so sorry that you are
having to tolerate
this appalling, disgusting display of
ignorance and fear and hatred.
I often wonder have any of these people
ever prior to today
been in Dearbornne
be including the preacher because I've
never in my life been unwelcomed
anywhere here.
I'm so sorry and I am so very deeply
embarrassed. but speaking for a great
deal of my community. We support you. We
stand with you. We stand with our Muslim
brother and sisters.
And
I I don't know how much these people are
actually even really un against you.
First of all, the biggest population of
Muslims in the United States are
Southeast Asians. The second biggest
population,
I myself, I'm not Muslim, but they look
like me. That's the second biggest
population.
>> You have 30 seconds remaining.
>> Thank you. Arab people are the third
biggest population of Muslims.
I am fully aware of who has oppressed my
people since day one. I am fully aware
of what they look like and my history.
And they do not look like my Muslim
brothers and sisters. I stand with you
today. My family stands with you
tomorrow.
and we will always stand with you as
long as we draw a breath. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Thank you. [applause]
» All right, folks. The next one, it's
hard to read out the first name, but
it's Arnold is the last name. Could be
Stephen. Yes, sir. Thank you.
» All right. No problem. There it is.
>> Good to see you.
Good evening. Just saw an old face
there.
>> We ran for mayor many years ago against
each other. You got more votes than me.
>> I came in third. I didn't have all the
money.
>> All right. Good evening.
Uh first of all,
great planning.
Excellent. This could have exploded.
It's pretty bad out there.
>> Could have been 10 times worse.
Excellent. A+.
Uh Mr. Sweeney, great um reel uh that
you sent out that kept thousands of
people from coming. I was at the gym
this morning. Everyone was saying
they're not coming. They're going to
ignore this noise.
They did. You could have had a you could
have had a 100,000 people out there.
Okay, they stay they chose to stay home.
Okay,
saved. It would have been a lot of mess,
right?
We have in Dearborn an excellent mayor.
I know. I've watched him.
I've learned from him.
He is dynamic.
He's smart. Wish I was as smart as that.
He did make a mistake a couple months
ago,
right? He was laughing.
Completely explainable,
but youth A+ tonight. Excellent. I
couldn't do it. I'm an Irishman. Oh,
man. You wouldn't want me out there.
Uh,
let me see if I can read this thing.
I want to apologize the city of Dearborn
particularly our Arab American
friends.
There was a group
I'll just call them misguided Christians
and misguided patriots.
Okay. Listen, they listen to the wrong
people.
They got good good good interests and at
heart.
Be careful who you follow.
okay? Because they're here to divide.
You're trying to pit us against each
other.
And Dearborn's a great city to live in.
Been here 30 years.
Okay, it's changed a lot.
It's still a great city. My gym used to
be 90% white.
It's now 90%
Middle Eastern.
I used to have white neighbors on both
my sides.
>> You have 30 seconds.
>> Okay, I'll go quick. I'm going to cut
off since I have um only 30 seconds. I
want to say another thing here.
The police did an excellent job. A+
double A+. That's a great choice to have
up there. Looks like a from Game of
Thrones.
I will do anything [applause]
A+. So, the the whole team and my final word is
>> uh make sure the the the officers get
overtime
>> cuz man, they were on the front line.
It's easy to sit back.
>> Time has expired.
>> I spent a lot of time walking outside
there and again again the poise they
had, the courage they showed because
there there was close. There's guy's
walking with handguns out there,
man. I'm glad I
>> Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Arnold.
>> All right, that's it.
>> Appreciate it. Yes, sir. Thank you.
>> That's a quick
>> Thank you.
[applause]
>> All right. And the next the next speaker
we have is uh Dr. Lana.
>> Yes. Thank you.
» Hello everyone. I'm Dr. Lana Al-Hasani
and uh I have a few points. First of
think we keep hearing this is a
Christian nation and because I'm
involved in interfaith with Native
American and this is a big offensive to
native people because they said those
people came the Christian from Europe to
practice their religion here freely then
they claimed this is a Christian nation.
So first of think this is not a
Christian nation. This is montheist and
they told me they worship one God the
creator. They call him the greatest
spirit. He is the same God the creator
that Jesus worship on St. Virgin Mary.
Second those Christian they cannot talk
behalf on all Christian people. My
husband he is Catholic. They have
different translation to their Bible.
I'm Muslim and I'm proud to marry
Irishman Catholic. I don't see any
difference. Okay. And my husband, he is
Catholic and he know more about Islam
more even than me because he is a
historian. And for the event for Imam
Hussein on August 2nd that it made a lot
of news. By the way, I'm the
granddaughter of Hussein and I'm proud
of it. My grandpa Hussein, he stood up
for justice and the truth. He stood up
against corrupted Islamic caliphate. We
hear in western media. Oh, in history
they were Islamic caliphate. They were
conquered land. Kill human. Yes, I
agree. But guess what? Those Islamic
caliphate established by Western Empire
in history, not by Prophet Muhammad
family. And guess what? Good news for
you. Prophet Muhammad family stood up
against them. Hussein a grandson of
Muhammad my grandpa stood up against th
those khalifhat corrupted in history if
you talk about history and those Islamic
caliphate is slaughter Muhammad family
with 72 with his people. Second prophet
Muhammad family wife Lady Khadijah she
came from a Christian background.
Other thing the priest who confirmed the
message of Islam. He was Muhammad family
cousin he was a priest he was Catholic
he approved the message of Islam. And
when the prophet of Islam and his
follower got slaughtered in their own
city they as refugee in a Christian city
and that it show how a big history and
sharing history between Muslim and
between a Christian. If any people can
read the real history, they will see
that we are one Muslim and the
Christian. And the event of Al Hussein,
it's honored not just by Muslim but also
honored by Catholic priest, is honored
by Orthodox Church. And we have all love
and respect to all good Christian
people, the real Christian, not the fake
one. Okay. And always we are one. Thank
you.
>> Thank you.
» All right. Next we have uh Eddie H.
Good evening board's uh me member of the
board's neighbors and friends. Tonight
we're being asked to take seriously a
man who has built his entire platform on
a lie. Mr. Lang has spent months telling
anyone who listened that Dearborn is
secretly governed by Shia law. No
ordinance, no court, no city record
supports that claim because it doesn't
exist. Residents here, Muslim and
Christian alike, live under the same
Michigan law, same US constitution and
the same city charter as every other
resident in this state. But when you
have the when you have to invent a legal
system to be afraid of that tells you
something about the argument that you're
actually making. Let's talk about what
Mr. Lang has done instead of making that
argument. Honestly, he's tried to burn
religious textbooks um in the street.
He's slapped a holy book with a slab of
bacon for a camera. He's called for mass
deportation of people who lived, worked,
and raised families in this very country
for generations. He brushed away any
type of hospitality. And none of that is
political commentary. It's all a stunt
built to provoke fear and call it faith.
And that's the part I actually want to
speak about because Mr. Lang claims to
do this in the name of Christianity. So
let's hold him to that standard because
Christ ate with the outcast. He told us
to love our neighbor, not to burn what
our neighbors hold sacred. Christ said
the truth would set us free, not that
provocation dressed up as truth would
get you a following. By that measure,
the Muslim families in this city who
show hospitality to strangers, who care
for their elderly, who show up for their
neighbors regardless of faith, they are
living closer to that teaching on any
given Tuesday than Mr. Lang has ever
done in his entire campaign. That's not
an insult. That's just an honest look at
fruit at the fruit each of them is
producing. And it's why you'll find
plenty of Christians plainly and
publicly saying they don't recognize
their own faith in what he's selling. So
Sharia doesn't exist in the measures
that you may think here. First of all,
Sharia means principle, law. Okay? Just
like Allah literally means God. Sharia
is simply the principle that we live by
such as property rights in marriage,
equality, and accountability. Sharia
insists that we don't indulge in usery
and interest. Allah explains the
inheritance of a family's estate. It's
the way of life, the true honest way of
living and that's something crusaders
are not accustomed to as they are
accustomed to stealing in a form of
conquering and terrorizing in the name
of establishing faith. So my ask of this
board is very simple. Don't legitimize a
manufactured threat by treating as a
real debate. After this Tuesday, I urge
the board not to entertain this any
further by agreeing to a board meeting.
The world has seen what
>> you have and what Mr. Mr. Lang is
portraying because provocation is not
the same thing as principle. Thank you
so much and appreciate you for
appreciate everything that you do, Mr.
Mayor. Uh, thank you guys so much. Have
a good day.
>> Thank you.
[applause]
All right. Next, we have Daniel Molina.
Is it pronounced? I'm sorry, sir. Go
ahead.
» Oh. Uh Dan, Melinda, I just wanted to
say I love Dearborn and I think you all
are doing a great job. Um and you know
what the mayor said earlier was very
moving and eloquent and everything my
neighbors have said is really kind of
echo with that. I it's just I keep
hearing this common kind of message of
unity. The only people that I hear kind
of preaching division are people from
outside Dearbornne. And I've only lived
in Dearborn seven years myself, but I,
you know, find it very welcoming. My
kids have gone to school here. I've
great schools, great places to eat. It's
a great community. I've, you know, it's
safe. Kids can just walk to uh town
themselves. um the parks and I have to
say the the recent investment in the
parks has just been wonderful and like
the peace park I was there uh for the
summer market. It's like something out
of a Hallmark movie and it's you know
just seeing the community coming
together and you know like seeing the um
you know in the summertime with the uh
World Cup having a televised there's
just so much that pulls people together
and all of this you know it's
developments that you guys have done in
recent years and I just uh I just don't
understand the haters and I don't
understand every time I read any article
about Dearborn it just people just go
into the comments. It's always people
outside of Dearbornne where, you know,
it's nice, it's refreshing to hear
everyone from Dearbornne tonight just
for the most part talking about unity
and coming together and supporting their
neighbors. And, you know, I'm here, you
know, because a neighbor of mine said to
come here tonight and I'm here to
support my neighbors and um just say how
great Dearbornne is and uh what a great
job I think everyone's been doing. So,
thank you.
>> Thank you.
>> [applause]
» Next we have uh Hezekiel Israel.
Okay. Uh dear uh dear mayor, members of
[clears throat] the board, and honored
guests, peace be with you all. In light
of strong religious and political
tensions in our country, I believe that
what truly helps establish peace and
unity is to examine the practices that
would show God to be good, just, and
perfect in all he does and that aligns
with the natural world he created.
This is the foundation of my comment
tonight.
I want to begin by acknowledging the
good I see in many Islamic practices
here in Dearbornne and throughout our
country. The commitment to one God, the
discipline of prayer, the reverence
shown in speaking highly of the creator
and the desire for community and
fellowship.
These are meaningful expressions of
devotion and I appreciate them
sincerely.
[clears throat] My brother JP once told
me how much the Arab community
contributes positively to the
Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana region
where I am from. [clears throat] He
spoke highly of Arab families, Arab
businesses, and the kindness he sees
from many Muslims in our area. I agree
with him.
I don't want the Arab community to
leave. Mayor, I want you and your people
here and to thrive here. But I do wish
to ask you to consider certain practices
that history has shown can lead to decay
in society and not bring those practices
here.
For example, how could a God who is just
and good take pleasure in seeing one of
the creatures he made suffer as a
sacrifice to himself like the Islamic
festival of Eid aladha where animals are
slaughtered in the name of God? Wouldn't
it be on the account of one who is evil
to delight in such suffering? But God is
not evil. God is good. Right? So how
could he delight in that? Didn't Jesus
end such practices millennia ago,
driving the animals out of the temple in
John chapter 2, teaching that places of
worship should be places of praise and
prayer, not sacrifice.
>> You have 30 seconds. [clears throat]
>> I also want to address recent actions by
Jake Lang. Um, and I just I'll cut it
short. Jesus never ate bacon, folks. So,
it's no point in putting bacon on a
Quran. And I just want to apologize to
you all for that because that's not what
Jesus would have done. Thank you, sir.
Thank you. Uh, next we have uh Bob
Patrick Henry.
Okay. Uh, Jeff Davis.
» I'm Davis.
>> No, sir.
Nope. Davis. Jeff Davis. Is the first
name Jeff?
>> Yeah. Sorry. No, it's not yours. Jeff
Davis. Um,
they have a cell phone number on here.
Does yours What's yours end in?
>> No, sir.
» Okay. Thank you, sir. Uh, Fidel Gibson.
» Okay. Yeah, that's I know we got to go
through them all. Just give us a second
here. Uh, Dr. Michelle Proctor. Thank
you.
Hi. Thank you um city council members
and um mayor for keeping our meeting for
the business of the city of Dearbornne.
Um I'm here to talk to you about Edison
Park. I'm sure you're probably really
happy to hear about Edison Park. Um,
and the mayor was very happy was very
gracious to speak with us for two hours
and take uh questions from us about our park. Uh, the issue is the trees.
Okay. Um, it's item 15 that was on our
agenda on the website. There was I
didn't have a chance to really digest
it. Um, Thursday we had um a meeting and
we talked about how it was the easement
for what I understood and I'm I'm here
for clarification. What I understood was
this was to have an agreement with Ford
to be able to go back there and it
didn't have really anything to do with
the pipes that were being talked about
with the sewers.
I'm just wanting clarification on that
because it seemed like there was a
contract with um
>> Yeah. Uh doc Dr. we're going to have the
mayor because we did address it last
week, but you're more than welcome at
the committee that the mayor will
respond to that.
>> Yes. Thank you.
>> Yeah, of course. Uh thank you so much
for being here. So the easement is an
agreement with Ford Motor Company that
allows us access to their property and
under the ground to maintain any lines
or staging, things of that nature. Now
the next step is we're preparing to go
out for a formal RFP in which if you're
on the email list we shared that we'd be
adding language that says to avoid all
trees and doing the investment in the
most environmentally conscious manner.
Once that company is selected we'll hire
an engineering firm. Then the process
will take about you know 18 months to
design the actual storm water line that
will ultimately be installed in across
southwest Dearborn.
>> Okay. Well, that's what I understood
from from Thursday, but and we we kind
of mentioned this that we don't want
information to just be spread on social
media. So, I think it's very important
for those of us in the community and
those of us who love our park and we
love our park as you know um to be
active in the council meeting so that we
can continue the dialogue. So, thank you
for the clarification. We just want to
make sure we save our troops.
>> That's why we created the email list.
And I've never been to a park where the
Lorax showed up and was a part of the
meeting.
>> Oh, that was pretty good, wasn't it?
>> I was excited that he was there and we
made a commitment to the Lorax and we'll
try.
>> Well, you could see the turnout how much
we really that that's really central to
our community and we're very passionate
about it and so I'm sure you'll hear
about Edison Park again.
>> Absolutely. Thank you so much for being
here.
>> Thank you. Thank you. Uh, next we have Jaclyn.
Jacleine. Uh,
it says district three. I can't.
>> Okay. Sorry.
>> Thank you.
>> Sorry.
» There's no Yeah, there's no uh props
allowed.
>> Okay.
Thank you very much for your
hospitality, city of Dearbornne. I
really enjoyed uh the educational
purposes. Uh I've gone to quite a few
city council meetings throughout the
state and I'll tell you this is to the
utmost most impressive.
Your detailed information in your
agendas and the transparency is superb.
I appreciate that.
I uh in my district, unfortunately,
I can tell you that the educational
level is far lower than what you have.
If I had an opportunity to get our
school district together and come and
sit and see how professional and
well-maintained
your agenda is with your items and the
procedure and the planning, then perhaps
people would be more motivated to do
better for all.
I noticed an agenda item that I'm very
concerned about and it's in relevance to
the prop that I have. It is a Arabic
magazine purchased in New York by my
great great greatgrandfather.
It's only in Arabic. It's from 1924.
It is a a book that is relevance to love
and prosperity and strength and unity.
And I don't want any prop any planning
to come with your main storm drain to
deter your water to go to a data center
and take my great greatgrandfather's
book of beauty and have a machine
destroy it
and never know how beautiful it is.
>> Would you like me to respond to that,
Council President? you you may or I
>> I think the agenda item was related to
the one in regards to data centers.
>> Yes.
So they don't
So the agenda item on data centers was
we eliminated where data centers could
potentially open up in the city of
Dearbornne. Uh in addition to that, our
uh corp council is also working on a
moratorum to put a pause on any possible
applications that could be submitted to
allow moratoriums in order for us to
beef up the laws around data centers
since we don't have any on our books.
And so those are the steps being taken
as pertain to the the the inter the
storm interceptor line. Um as spoken to
uh Dr. proctor earlier. Um, this is a
line that will help reduce flooding in
people's basements given Dearbornne
floods heavily when we have heavy rain
events. And so we did a two-year study
and the study suggested that we have to
add an interceptor line in southwest
Dearborn so that we can sewer separate
so that the sewage water runs down one
line and the storm water runs down
another. It has nothing to do and zero
implications to any data center.
>> All right. Thank you. Hope that
answered. Thank you, mayor, for that.
All right. Next we have um Ethan Barl.
Great.
» All right. You may say that um
Dearbornne has um peaceful. It's been
with Christians and occupied peacefully
with Muslims and Christians together and
the crime rates have ma remained fairly
stagnant.
Not so for Europe. Rapes are up over
300% to 500% in England, France, and
Sweden and other European countries that
have embraced fully embrace Muslim
immigration.
And in those same three countries that I
just listed, Muslims now make up 7 to
10% of the total population, which has
taken place just over these last few
decades, driving an explosion in sexual
assaults and rapes. Meanwhile, we can
take a control group, Poland, which in
which rapes are down 70%.
Over that same period, Poland's simple
strategy is don't let Muslims in.
England and Wales since 2002 rapes
increased over 500% to 75,000 reported
rapes in the last year and according to
the uh statista for every that was
according to Statista and for every
single one of those five uh reported
rapes is 5 to 15 unreported rapes. So
you can see the scale of the issue. So
we have not seen the fullscale
manifestation of the Islamification of
America, but Europe has and they've seen
the fruit. And you can even Germany is
now looking at an initiative to deport
over over 800,000 Muslim immigrants over
the course of three years. Um, in June
2026, the rape inquiry report unveiled
that Pakistani Muslim grooming gangs
systematically raped and traveled
thousands of British girls across
numerous towns while police, social
services, healthc care providers, and
politicians repeatedly failed to protect
them and out of fear of being called
racist. The estimated victims was
previously mentioned uh 250,000
from the 1990s to the present.
Um I say let us all learn from the
mistakes of these European countries who
have betrayed their people and
especially their women who suffer the
most because of these wicked and evil
initiatives to not hold to not prosecute
these things. And um uh the most
hypocritical thing about this all is
that you guys at the same time claim to
be liberals and democrats
>> and support feminism. Uh, tell me how is
supporting a system that mistreats
women, increases rapes 300 to 500% in
Europe and now um, and then how's that
liberal and feminism? You guys are liars
and deceitful and your sheep and wolves
clothing. Um,
» and this is
>> I'm sorry. Time is expired.
>> All right.
Next we have uh Chaz Sykes.
» This was not made for the vertically
gifted. I'll say that. [laughter]
>> Uh well, thank you dear Bourne and good
evening. Uh it's a pleasure and a
privilege to be able to talk to you
today and I want to thank uh the council
for allowing uh free speech.
My name is Chaz Sykes with uh Turning
Point Action, the organization founded
by the late Charlie Kirk.
I am speaking to you today as your
turning point field representative.
The first thing I would like to say is
that these jokers do not represent the
Republican party.
Thank you. The
Republican Party stands for freedom and
individual liberty. The real Republican
Party stands for the Constitution of the
United States.
three homicides in 2024 and 2025
combined.
In a two-year span, violent crime has
dropped by 20%, robberies decreased by
22%, vehicle thefts fell by 30%, and
burglaries plummeted by 40%.
So, that's crime. What about education?
According to the Meno C Center's context
and performance report card, Dearborn
public schools frequently dominate the
state with five schools ranking in the
top 30.
Out of all 15 public universities in
Michigan, U of M Dearborn grads secure
the fourth highest median annual
earnings 10 years after enrollment.
UF Dearborn maintains the lowest average
annual cost of any public 4-year
university in Michigan.
What about Dearborn culturally? What
does that look like?
Well, Dearbornne's populace is deeply
entrenched in social and religious
conservatism. Dearbornne is bar none the
most conservative city in America. The
community has made national headlines
for packed rockus schoolboard meetings
where large coalitions of Muslim and
Christian parents successfully organized
to protest and remove books with LGBTQ
plus garbage and sexual content from
public schools.
The social structure revolves heavily
around the traditional family unit.
Concepts of gender roles, modesty,
dating, and marriage tend to align
closely with traditional Islamic and
Christian teachings rather than modern
progressive garbage. There is a
collective community rejection of woke
ideology and the disgusting
sexualization of children. They have
tried to introduce gender identity into
local healthcare and were shut down
immediately.
Dearbornne also has one of the highest
densities of small businesses in the
state. This fosters a highly capitalist
anti-regulation and taxes conscious
mindset aligned with the Republican
party. Find me another city with a
population over a 100,000 that is more
conservative than Dearbornne. I am here
to tell you that if you believe in
entrepreneurship, religious freedom,
family orientation, and social
conservatism, then you stand with
Dearborn. On the other hand, if you spit
on capitalism, reject the constitution,
and participate in the destruction of
the family and gender roles in society,
then you have already left this meeting.
>> Your time has expired.
>> Thank you very much.
>> Thank you. [applause]
» Uh, next we have the Alawan.
All right. Odaid Fakori.
Odori.
Sam
uh Sam Fington.
Okay. Uh Angela Gil.
Um Mustafa Almuna.
Aluna. Okay.
» Hello, council members. Mayor I'm just
following up about the West Dearborn
Valley. I know it's a bad time. I feel
like every time I come to I feel like
every time I come to a council meeting,
there's something more important. I get
it.
>> Why?
>> So, I just wanted to follow up. I did
send all our info over. I was told also
to bring in all our documents to present
in front of council.
>> Yeah,
>> I know our police department and zoning
department works very hard and they have
a lot more important things to deal
with.
>> I can answer it for you.
>> Yeah. No, thank you so much for being
here. legal just advised me that they're
currently reviewing your application
right now. So, you should hear back
relatively soon.
>> Okay. Is mayor, is it possible to
instead of coming to another
>> Yeah. Yeah. We'll contact you.
>> Okay. Do I have to wait for another
[laughter]
>> I I might start believing that you are
the cause of everything. So, I think
we're going to do our best to get you
the answer without having you to sit
through a long meeting.
>> Okay. Gotcha. And the last thing I
wanted to ask, do I have to come to
another councilman because it is
expensive to wait.
>> You don't you don't you don't have to.
>> Okay. You don't have to.
>> Do you need these Do you need these
documents or are we good? We're we have
everything that we need.
>> All right. Thank you guys.
>> You can tell the people to go with you.
[laughter]
>> Thank you guys. Have a good one.
>> All right.
>> Uh JP the boy,
>> is that that's you, sir? No.
» Yes, sir. Sorry.
» Yeah. JP Dyorg. I live in Dearbornne
Heights. I'm an atheist. Atheists are
also Americans.
I strongly disagree with with the
religious intolerance that some people
have been expressing.
I welcome neighbors and friends from all
religious persuasions.
Muslims are Americans.
Christians are Americans. Jews are
Americans.
Wiccans are Americans.
She six are Americans. Um,
thousands of other possible persuasions
are Americans.
People should seek to understand one
another and get along, not to stoke
division and intolerance.
Thank you.
>> Thank you, [applause]
>> Chris Sanders.
So, my name is Chris Anders. I'm a proud
Catholic Christian, and I am troubled
deeply. But I witness here tonight
to the men and women protesting in the
name of Jesus, hurling hate out of
Muslims, brothers and sisters, not in
his name, and certainly not on my watch.
I count many Muslims as my friends, my
neighbors, my associates, and yes, my
barber.
Men and women of integrity, of family,
and of faith. We may not be brothers in
faith, but we are certainly absolutely
brothers and sisters in humanity. And
freedom of religion is not a footnote to
being an American. It is a cornerstone.
The same first amendment that protects
my right to go to mass protects your
right to the mosque. It grieves me that
in the name of Jesus, the prince of
peace is being used as a weapon to
spread fear, intolerance, and hate. That
is not the gospel. That is not the
cross. And that certainly is not of
Christ. So let me be clear. The name of
in the name of Jesus Christ, I rebuke
this spirit of hatred and division.
Scripture does not leave us confused
about this. We are called to rebuke evil
and tonight this is evil. using the name
of the savior who deni who dined with
outcasts to cast out our neighbors good
people. John 13:35 tells us exactly how
Christians should be known. By this all
people will know that you are my
disciples if you have love for one
another and your neighbor. First John
4:20 makes it even plainer. If anyone
says I love God and hates his brother,
he is a liar. So no, you do not speak
for me. You do not speak for my church
and you do not speak for Christ when you
chant hate at people of God, no matter
the faith. To my Muslim friends in this
room and in this city, you are welcome
here. You belong here. Your freedom to
worship is my freedom to worship and I
will stand for it because my faith
demands it. We can disagree and we
probably will on theology and still
defend each other's dignity. That's not
weakness. That's Christianity. That is
American.
[applause]
Thank you, Mr. Sanders. Jeff Doyer.
Unlike a lot of people who showed up
something to read, I don't have anything
to read. Lord Jesus Christ brought me
here today to speak with everybody. And
yes, everybody should be open-minded.
Everybody should be friendly, kind. You
never know what somebody else is
thinking unless you take time to stop
and actually talk to each other. What
I've come to down Dearbornne for to talk
about is the First Amendment because
it's important for everybody in this
room, everybody across our great
country. It doesn't matter where your
beliefs come from. It doesn't matter
where you come from. It depends on how
you treat all of our rights. The first
amendment says you have the right to
freedom of speech. A lot of people
showed up outside. I seen anger and
bitterness on both sides. I've seen
people on both sides
instigating. Didn't need to be as far as
coming down and not having your rights
violated.
Do I really believe that Jack Long or
Jake Long, however you say it, I don't
even know the guy's name truthfully,
very well. But what happened with him
getting hit? He wasn't trying to fight.
Somebody hit him. It doesn't matter
which side you're on, whether you like
his belief or somebody else's. Nobody
deserves to get attacked. That's what it
comes down to. And then when once it
happened and there's video everywhere,
you know, people chasing him down as the
one gentleman mentioned earlier. It
wasn't just one person. It started with
one person and then the mob effect
happened and then they started chasing
him. Then he ended up in a car and they
were trying to get him out of the car.
Yes, he ended up getting to safety,
getting put to jail. Well, as you said,
a couple other people got arrested, but
more people were involved than that. And
with our first amendment rights, if we
don't follow and use our videos and use
what we have to make sure all the people
that were involved got arrested,
that makes all of us unsafe because that
moment when it happens and it turns out
to be you.
won't be safe. And we all we are all
only safe in our country because of our
amendment rights. Freedom of religion.
I'm a Christian. You know, Muslims are
sitting here. Somebody might be from
Israel. Somebody could be from Kenya.
Somebody could be from South Africa. It
doesn't matter. That's what makes
America great is you can come here. We
can all live on the same block. As a
gentleman said, he's an atheist. We
should all be able to get along.
>> You have 30 seconds remaining. So the
important part is to make sure that our
amendment rights doesn't get trampled on
and that things are followed because if
we don't have people in government, the
mayor, the police officers, and higher
up governors and stuff making sure our
amendments are followed because you took
an oath, mayor. Am I correct? Which I
should be. You know, the police officer
took an oath to stand for the
constitution to make sure all of us are
protected.
>> I'm sorry. Your time has expired for all
of us to stay protected and everybody's
welcome.
>> Thank you, sir. Thank you. Appreciate
it.
[applause]
>> All right. Next, we have Leslie Herrick.
Good evening, um, Mayor, esteemed city
council. Um, thank you for, uh,
entertaining my comments this evening.
I'm Leslie Herrick. I am the community
relations director for the intercultural
community center in Dearbornne, which is
a nonprofit organization serving
Dearborn and Dearborn Heights. Um, its
mission is to bring people together to
understand each other. um where we come
from, where we are today, the things
that bond us in unity here. Um there are
so many things that we have in common um
that outnumber those differences between
us and the intercultural community
center in Dearbornne seeks to address
those. For example, just earlier this
year, we had panel discussions on
challenges in finding housing,
affordable housing. Um we also had a
panel discussion on what's on the ballot
on the primary ballot. Um, coming up
later this year, we have a a community
picnic um for Good Neighbor Day, which
is in September. It will be celebrated
by the Intercultural Community Center in
Dearbornne, as well as the city of
Dearbornne um which is encouraging
neighborhoods to do what we always do.
We have um just like across the country
and probably more than many cities
across the country, we have um
neighborhood picnics um block parties
that bring people together. no matter
where they came from, they ended up on
the same street or on the same block and
they break bread together. They do um
potlucks and family activities,
family-friendly uh children's activities
across our city. So, these are examples
of what what makes Dearborn similar to
other cities across the country, but it
also makes us unique because of the
people that are here. We are here by
choice for the most part and we we love
our city and we love the diversity that
makes us stronger and um some of those
things that you see if you come to visit
if you're not part of our neighborhoods
and going to our picnics or block
parties you you would experience if you
have not already wonderful food um at
many of our restaurants upcoming uh
later this fall our coffee month it's a
our coffee week and and it's a wonderful
time to experience all kinds of
different coffee if you are a coffee
drinker or even tea um at um many of our
coffee houses. Some are are um locally
they're locally owned um by different um
nationalities. So please come experience
some of those activities. Earlier
somebody mentioned our farmers market.
Again you see those across the country,
but ours is special um with the with
people that are local here participating
um and enjoying the activities or
running the booths that are there. Um I
just wanted to mention there were a
couple things.
>> We have 30 seconds remaining.
>> Two things that again unite us with
around the world. Um we have Rotary Club
of Dearbornne. Um Rotary International
is a nonprofit organization around the
world that brings people together and
serves those in need. So thank you for
entertaining our little free library. Um
it's a partnership between the Rotary
Club of Dearbornne and the city of
Dearborn. So that was on uh the consent
agenda. And then I also wanted to speak
about trees. Thank you. Uh for a couple
years ago, we activated our cultural I'm
sorry, our environmental.
>> Sorry, your time has expired.
>> And there's a subcommittee that deals
with trees. Um and thank you for
considering the trees when when um you
look at the plans for the sewer
separation project.
>> Thank you. Appreciate it. Uh Byron
Harmon,
>> is it? Yeah. I'm sorry. I apologize.
Yes.
Hello, my name is Brian Harmon. Um, I
came to Dearbornne today because I seen
a video of a man who was just trying to
say Christian things and he got stuff
thrown at him and he was attacked. Uh me
I I'm not a Christian personally but I
have Christian values and I do not want
to see anybody attacking my country for
just expressing themselves. And um like
what happened there was
something that I thought I would never
see in my country. There's a lot of
things that are happening in my country
that I thought I'd never see. Like flat
cameras and these data centers that are
coming and nobody wants this stuff to
happen. Like if we want data centers, we
should put them in space, not in our
oceans, not in our backyards. Um but but
what I came here today was because I'm
not I don't support Jake Lang. He I
believe he's an Israeli PL plant and he
[applause] is literally just here to
spew hate and I don't See, I don't
disagree with everything he says, but he
goes at things a very hateful way and he
wants to target a certain group. Um,
he said that Sharia law is here and is
wrong. Jake Lang is wrong. Shri Law is
not here and it will never be here
because of us young patriots of this
country. Um, but I really think a lot of
Christians are scared and why like this
event could have been so much worse is
what's happening in Europe. Like the
gentleman said earlier, Christians are
being like
taken over and like there is a Zionist
regime that is trying to wipe out the
white population across the world. And I
mean look at what's happening even
Africa. like Christians have been been
slaughtered for years and years and
years. Like the militaries have to take
action over there because of it. But
um fascism is not the problem in
America. It's Zionism.
And I honestly like there's a lot of
people here that talk about Henry Ford
and what he believed in, but Henry Ford
would be rolling in his grave for what's
happened to this country. Like if you
look into what Henry Ford believed about
the Jews in Zionism, like I bet you it
would wake so much people's eyes up to
this. Um
>> you have 30 seconds.
>> Thank you. Um yeah, I didn't come here
to talk today. Like I came here to just
see what was happening because I was
afraid what was happening. And uh I
talked to both sides and uh everybody
agreed that Zionism bad, Muslims and
Christians. Well, some Chris K, not
most. Not the MAGA people. Um, but
that's that's what they want us to be.
divided. Zionism is
the problem. And that's
>> I'm sorry your time is expired.
>> Thank you. That's all I want to come
here to say.
>> Thank you.
Zionism.
>> Appreciate
» Mr. Barham.
Ted Baram, Dearborn resident.
A lot of the problems that we are seeing
here today
uh started uh from something that
happened last year where I objected to a
street sign and then the uh mayor um
told me I'm not welcome here and he'll
throw a parade when I uh leave the city
and later uh spread defamation about me
um in conjunction with others in the
ArabAmerican news and in Alazer era and
in the Guardian newspaper uh scurless
and ridiculous uh defamation.
Uh that street sign is named after a
journalist who says that the most
important thing that he's ever done he
continues to maintain is when he uh led
the crowd here in Dearborn paying homage
to the leader of Hezbollah and of course
Hezbollah
um bombed uh to death hundreds of
Americans in Beirut.
Um, now that's not just an isolated
incident. That's that's the thing. Uh,
it's representative of bigger problems.
Uh, imams in the biggest uh mosques uh
in Dearbornne and Dearborn Heights uh
praise the Iranian regime uh which has
caused so much oppression uh to so many
people. It's killed hundreds of
thousands of people directly and through
proxies.
and my fellow Christians in Iran, which
is a great concern to me, are extremely
persecuted there in Iran. Um, so these
are legitimate concerns that we have and
I don't think it should be controversial
to raise these concerns.
Um,
Jewish people, uh, you can paint a rosy
picture of Dearborn. Jewish people are
terrified of coming to Dearbornne. Uh,
I've talked to multiple Jewish people
who said that.
Um,
also my fear was uh was justified. I
said he's spreading violence. He's he he
could be interpreted as spreading
violence in Michigan. And then a few
months later, somebody attacked a
synagogue full of 140 small children uh
in West Bloomfield.
Uh so these are legitimate concerns.
At the same time, I'm embarrassed uh
with uh Jake Lang's so-called
Christianity, this fake Christianity,
which many people have said. I hope this
doesn't put my Muslim friends off
Christianity because that's not that's not real Christianity.
Christ,
>> you have 30 seconds remaining.
>> represents love.
Um I do want to say just a couple more
things. First of all, uh I'm not racist
and I I want to discourage that as well.
I have dear Arab friends. I was speaking
in Arabic uh church on sun uh this
weekend. Uh, and the last thing I want
to say, giving credit where it's due, is
when we had an Israeli Jewish man who
came to Dearbornne to Peace Park West, I
appreciate how when there was a threat
and I contacted the FBI, the Dearborn
police came out in full force to protect
him
>> uh to speak about the tragic loss of his
son who was murdered in Washington DC
and he spoke in love and in compassion
to people in Dearborn who are
experiencing loss. So, I want to give
credit where it's due to the Dearborn
Police and the Dear Dearborn government
for helping in that situation. Thank you
very much.
>> Thank you, sir. All right. Uh, Mr.
Clerk, is there any more cards?
>> No more cards. All right. At that time,
we will conclude our public uh comment
portion. Is there a motion to adjurnn?
We are have a motion by Councilman
Alawi. We are adjourned.