Arabs and Non-Arabs Stand United in Dearborn, Michigan

By Laura J. Brown
Washington File Staff Writer

In the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the community of Dearborn, Michigan, has achieved a "new level of cooperation" among different religious groups and ethnic cultures, according to University of Michigan Professor Ronald Stockton.

Stockton, who chairs the university's Center for Arab-American Studies, cited a number of recent community events and statements from political leaders as encouraging signs that Americans -- both those of Arab descent and non-Arabs --are uniting during this difficult time.

Dearborn is home to the largest concentration of Michigan State's more than 400,000 Arab-Americans, many the second and third generations of immigrant families. Dearborn schools teach in both English and Arabic; about half of the students in the school system are of Arab descent.

Nouhad El-Hajj, publisher of the Arab American Journal in Dearborn, described September 11 as "a day not to be forgotten for the rest of our lives, a day of pain." He explained that many Arab-Americans felt a mix of emotions -- "both a sense of mourning for the destruction and lives lost, and also a fear that there would be retaliation" against innocent Arabs and Muslims who may look like the apparent perpetrators of the terrorist attacks.

But in what Stockton described as "a remarkable response," community leaders in Dearborn organized an inter-faith vigil the day after the attacks, and the University of Michigan at Dearborn hosted a teach-in that drew more than 200 participants to discuss how the September 11 events affect politics and community.

"From the president on down to our governor and mayor, our leaders have set the tone for civility and respect for each other," Stockton said. "For what could have been a time of intense divisions, the overall response has been positive and helpful."

El-Hajj said his initial fear of retaliation has abated, due to the outpouring of support from Dearborn and area residents.

"There have been letters, emails and calls of support from non-Arab Americans. People are coming from other areas to support Arab-American-owned shops and businesses," he said. "Dearborn stands very tall in this tragedy. We stand united."

The nation took note of President Bush's statements and gestures of unity with the U.S. Muslim community, El Hajj said. "With his visit to a mosque, a prayer service in Washington, and a meeting with Arab-American leaders, the president made clear from day one that this is not a war against Islam, but against terrorists," he said.

Abdulla Mackie, an associate at Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, said the Dearborn community has been "scratched but not hurt." He said the commitment by President Bush and federal agencies to prosecute hate crimes, as well as efforts to reach out to the Muslim community, have helped.

"In fact, it has actually generated interest in what Islam is," he said. Moreover, the efforts to bridge ethnic or religious divides goes both ways, he said. Ford's Middle Eastern employee club raised $75,000 with a "Ford Cares" choir concert for the Red Cross programs to help families of the victims in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Religious leaders have also reached out to one another to coordinate activities, Stockton said. For a September 16 service, a Christian minister forwarded his sermon to a Muslim imam, who quoted the minister during his service.

"This is really a development when Muslim leaders are quoting Christian leaders," Stockton said. "It's a new level of cooperation."

When asked how Dearborn could overcome tensions resulting from the September 11 attacks, El-Hajj spoke positively: "Dearborn we should not worry about; we are one family here. Arabs and non-Arabs have lived together for many, many years -- this kind of quality produces good community."