ADC Condemns Broken Windows at Christian Arab Church
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee’s Michigan chapter condemned vandalism over the weekend at Mother of the Savior Lutheran Church, 19100 Ford Road, east of Evergreen Road.
The Rev. Rani Abdulmasih told police that two outer window panes on the building’s south side were broken. Police found that thrown crabapples broke the outer panes, but did not break the inner panes.
The outer windows were broken between 11 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. Sunday.
There was similar damage at the church about a week before.
Abdulmasih sent an email to ADC Michigan, which the group used in a press release.
“As a Christian Arab and Middle Eastern congregation, we have sensed the profiling in more ways than one,” he wrote. “It is unfortunate that racial profiling, bigotry and racism continues to exist and flourish in our beloved country, as we live under a Constitution that supports freedom, justice and equality for all.”
ADC Michigan cited recent incidents nationally, including a shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin and a fire June 12 at a garage at the Dearborn Woods Community Center, which is used by the nearby American Muslim Center. There was graffiti on the garage, but police said at the time they weren’t sure it was racially motivated. The community center is off Pelham Road, behind Edsel Ford High School.
Dawud Walid, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations-Michigan, called for the FBI to investigate the fire as a hate crime.
“An attack on any place of worship of any faith is an attack against all,” Imad Hamad, ADC Michigan regional director and senior national adviser, said of the weekend incident in the press release. “These acts of hate or ignorance should not be tolerated under any circumstances and go against our true American values.”
Joe Slezak
The News-Herald