DEARBORN, Mich. – Police in Dearborn sat down with faith leaders from across the region to discuss safety amid the rise in anti-Islamic and anti-Jewish sentiment stemming from the war in Gaza.
Dearborn police Chief Issa Shahin says there’s a lot of hate going on right now, which is why they were having the meeting.
“What this room represents is the beauty of Dearborn,” said Shahin. “It’s multi-cultural. There are different backgrounds of faith in that room.”
Leaders from every religion in Dearborn and surrounding areas came together to discuss public safety during a very turbulent time.
“I’m overwhelmed by the sadness of that situation with so many people being killed all over the world,” said a man during the meeting.
The Dearborn Police Department was the host of the discussion. One of the most important topics was stopping the hate.
“I wish all the hate, all the rhetoric would just stop and just be reduced,” Shahin said. “When you bring all the folks together, you realize there’s a lot that binds us together than divides us.”
With recent threats on both Jewish and Palestinian communities with the war in Gaza, leaders were able to sit together with a greater goal in mind.
“We are together as a clergy,” said another man during the meeting. “We have this compassion to save the human race.”
And although we’re seeing a rise in hate crimes, the hope is that one day, everyone can witness peace and co-exist.
“Yes, we’re going through all this turmoil and fights, but this fight should create a reasonable man and woman to sit down and discuss a new solution,” the man said.
Leaders said they aren’t losing hope.
