The anti-Muslim flyer that was distributed in Hamtramck.

HAMTRAMCK — Hamtramck is one of the most diverse cities in the nation, but an anonymous bigoted campaign ad has agitated tensions in the city ahead of the Nov. 3 municipal elections. 

“Let’s get the Muslim out,” the ad reads. “Let’s take our city back.” The flyer features photos of White City Council candidates Susan Dunn, Cathie Gordon and Robert Zwolak.

All three candidates denied responsibility for the ad.

According to the 2010 Census, 41 percent of the city’s 22,000 residents are foreign-born. Thousands of the city’s residents are of Polish descent, and it is also home to large African American, Yemeni and Bangladeshi communities.

Dunn said the flyer is “disgusting.”

“This is ridiculous and it is insulting to my family and work that I’ve done,” she told Fox 2.

Bill Meyer, the founder of OneHamtramck, said the issues of the Muslim and Arab communities in Hamtramck run deeper than the campaign ad.

“Arab Americans are not represented on the City Council,” he said. “To my knowledge, there isn’t a single Arab employed by the government. There is a huge disparity of color at City Hall.”

He added that the leaders of Hamtramck, including the candidates featured on the flyer, should be more active in bringing the community together by giving Arab and Muslim residents fair representation.

Meyer said individuals who are bigoted against Islam or “some very unfortunate Muslim” could be behind the flyer. 

The ad says “let’s get the Muslim out.” Meyer said the improper use of singular instead of the plural could be intentional to make it seem like immigrants are responsible for the ad.

He also said the responses of the candidates featured on the flyer were “hollow” because they have not taken action to show solidarity with the Muslim community.

Hamtramck resident and Yemeni American activist Abdulmalik Alwajeeh urged the community to disregard the ads.

“The candidates are not responsible for them,” he said. “An unknown person printed them to stir trouble.”

The Take on Hate campaign condemned bigoted rhetoric against immigrants, Arabs and Muslims, adding such tactics have been used in elections across the nation.

“We ask our supporters during our week of #TakeOnHateWithAction to speak out against those who use fear-mongering tactics and demand that they stick with what matters: issues that impact our quality of life,” read a statement by the campaign.

Take on Hate urged candidates to focus on issues that promote unity, instead of promoting divisiveness and fear. 

Former State Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the Take on Hate campaign manager, said candidates need to speak against such campaign literature and be committed to promoting diversity.

“Claiming it wasn’t you is fine, but some of the candidates on these ads have not been welcoming of Muslims and immigrants,” she said. “‘It wasn’t me.’ That’s what my 10-year-old would say. They need to come out and condemn these ads.”

Tlaib added that politicians who have no substantial solutions to address issues that matter to the voters are tapping into the irrational fear of Muslims to gain popularity.

Khalil Al-Refai, a Muslim chaplain and board member of the Yemeni Leadership Association, said the ads are disturbing.

He said candidates and political activists should not bring ethnicity and religion into their campaigns. 

“I want to remind those who have racism and hate inside them to remember that America belongs to every American no matter what your background is or what faith you practice,” he said. “It’s a shame to find out this is happening in this great city of Hamtramck, which is known for its diversity.”

Yemeni American City Council candidate Saad Almasmari said the flyers aim to divide the community.

“Whoever made the flyers is trying to make us hate each other and are trying to increase the gap in the community,” he said. “But that will never happen, because we are all equal Americans regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or skin color.”