DEARBORN —  The power of social media prevailed last weekend when a hashtag that started in Dearborn’s Arab American community went viral across the world on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

#AmericansWithGaza was a trending topic around the world, involving Americans taking selfies of themselves with a hand-written message expressing their support towards Palestine amidst the current crisis in the Middle East. 

Dearborn resident Sarah Dabajeh uploaded the first selfie to Facebook on Friday, July 11. By Sunday morning, thousands of people had engaged in the trending topic. Some took photos of themselves, others took photos with groups of friends and families, while parents photographed their young children. 

The topic caught the attention of Americans of all ages and cultural backgrounds, uniting them to send a message to Israel’s aggressive military force. 

“I’m an American and I stand with Gaza because I condemn the killing of innocent civilians,” read one message.

“I am an American and I stand with Gaza because I will use my voice for the voiceless in Palestine and raise awareness of the genocide killing innocent civilians,” read another message.

Dabajeh told The Arab American News that she wasn’t surprised to see the hashtag become a trending topic as social media has become a modern day form of protesting.

“It’s a peaceful protest gone digital.” Dabajeh said. “Social media is a powerful tool for modern day activism and it reaches everyone across the world within minutes.”