Dearborn Police Chief Ronald Hadad carries a sign featuring a quote by MLK at a march in Dearborn, Jan. 18 – The Arab American News.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

On Martin Luther King Day this past Monday, many Arab Americans filled social media feeds with quotes and pictures of Dr. King. Around the same time, some of the same people were also making negative comments with racial undertones about African American protestors in Dearborn.

It is ironic that our community, which is struggling to fend off racists who attack us because of our faith and the color of our skin, is an environment where racism is tolerated.

We have a problem with racism within our society; we must confront it.

Despite ample efforts by numerous activists, the word “abeed” (slaves) is still used in our community to refer to African Americans. Interracial marriages are frowned upon even if a non-Arab suitor is of the same faith as the family.

Politically, some Arab Americans are disconnected from civil rights struggles outside of combating Islamophobia and anti-Arab sentiments. Yet, we ask fellow people of color to stand with us. It is hypocritical and ineffective. How can Arab Americans demand Black activists join us in demonstrations against hate crime or for Palestine, when many in this community do not recognize police brutality as a problem?

A Dearborn cop fatally shot Kevin Matthew, an unarmed Black man, in Detroit a month ago. That’s a fact.

We don’t know whether the officer was justified in his action. That remains to be determined by the investigation, which is being handled by the Detroit Police. But what we do know is that law enforcement agents have not been kind or fair to people of color throughout the history of this nation.

African Americans particularly have been primary victims of unjustified police prejudice that turns lethal too often.

And given the outcome of recent cases, we can’t tell Matthew’s family and friends to await the investigation without being angry or exercising their constitutional right to assemble and speak.

In Chicago, when Laquan McDonald was brutally murdered (shot nine times), the police commissioner and mayor tried to suppress evidence in the case. The killers of Eric Garner and Michael Brown were not even charged with any wrongdoing.

In the Arab American community, we do not wait for the outcome of trials when the federal government entraps our young men on trumped up terrorism charges or targets our activists. We instantly condemn those policies. Why do some Arab Americans hold Blacks to different standards?

Even if you do not agree with Black Lives Matter protestors in Dearborn, there is no need to call them thugs or use racial slurs against them.

A new trend of showing excessive support for Dearborn cops is also emerging on social media. While The Arab American News appreciates the efforts of the Dearborn Police Department to keep the city safe, unquestionable fondness for men and women in uniforms strips us of the critical thinking required to recognize and correct their flaws.

Respect should be earned, not automatically gifted because of the job title. Many Dearborn officers have earned that respect by demonstrating commitment to protect and serve residents.

However, it is irrational to say the entire department is infallible. And changing your profile picture on Facebook to a police badge does not make cops’ jobs easier or less dangerous. Instead, it is marginalizes our African American neighbors who have concerns about Matthew’s death.

At the same time, calls for boycotting the entire city of Dearborn by some Detroit groups are misguided. Dearborn does have a troubling recent history with anti-Black bigotry. But the city is already suffering attacks from White supremacists because of its large population of Arabs and Muslims.

Disrupting the flow of life for the sake of harming all residents is counter productive for those seeking answers.

We need to stand together and advocate for peace and justice for all.