DEARBORN — In recent weeks, residents have contacted The Arab American News to report incidents where they or someone they knew were allegedly discriminated against because they were Muslim or Arab. 

While reports of discrimination should never be disregarded, after a thorough investigation on our end, we’ve concluded that some of these claims were exaggerated— or completely fabricated. 

An individual cannot accuse a person or business of discriminatory actions and expect the accusation to hold merit when they were being uncooperative or breaking laws themselves. 

For example, we were alerted to an alleged incident at a bowling alley in east Dearborn on Monday, December 7. Two college students claimed they’d been kicked out of the establishment because they were Muslim. 

The complainants also said drunken customers inside the bowling alley lashed out with derogatory comments towards their religion. 

“You guys have to leave, we don’t allow Muslims in here,” they were allegedly told by the owner of the bowling alley.

But according to the owner, that’s not what transpired. 

The owner walked into the bar area around 10:30 p.m. and recognized one of the Muslim men, a regular customer. 

“I walked into the bar and there were two young guys playing pool,” she said. “The one I know was 22. I asked the bartender if they were 21 and he said one of the men didn’t have any I.D. The law is if you don’t have I.D., you can’t be in there, even if you are not drinking.”

She asked the two men to leave because one of them couldn’t provide her with an I.D. She said she never brought anything up about either their religion or race.

“I never said anything like that,” she said.

The bowling alley has been in business in Dearborn since 1948 and has often attracted a diverse crowd. In fact, it often conducts businesses with Dearborn Public Schools. Muslim students often frequent it.

“We have the school groups coming in here all the time,” the owner said. “We have many families that come in here on the holidays and we’ve never had such issues.”

The owner also denied that other customers had gotten hostile with the two Muslim men.

She described the crowd that evening as older, retired men who are regulars at the business and who bowl, drink beer and watch Monday Night Football.

The owner added that she’s had arguments with the 22-year-old Muslim man numerous times before because he would bring his underage friends into the bar area. 

“I know he gets upset with me, but he doesn’t understand the law of running a liquor license,” she said. “We are held responsible for what goes on in here. We get fined if the police walk in and they find someone with no I.D. It’s not my law, it’s Michigan’s law.” 

The incident at the bowling alley is one of a few we’ve investigated where the complaint turned out to be false or fallacious. 

While there is no denying that this is a sensitive time for our community, some disgruntled residents appear to be using the current political atmosphere for their own personal gain. When you make such misleading accusations about businesses or residents who have peacefully co-existed with this community for decades, it will fuel additional turmoil that we simply don’t need.

If Dearborn residents are going to use the “discrimination” card every time they feel they were wronged, it will take away from the genuine hardships we are currently facing on a national level.