A screengrab of a woman speaking against the welcoming resolution

WEST BLOOMFIELD — The West Bloomfield Board turned down a request to repeal the township’s “welcoming” status. 

At a meeting on Jan. 25, the board voted 3-2 in favor of remaining a “welcoming” city. But several residents made xenophobic statements and expressed angry nativist sentiments and anti-Muslim bigotry.

The board voted unanimously to in favor of a welcoming resolution in May of last year. 

The program, which is coordinated by Welcoming Michigan and Welcoming America, works with non-profit organizations to help municipalities be more welcoming, especially to recent immigrants and refugees. 

Some residents of the wealthy northwestern suburb complained that immigrants would take residents’ resources; others had grievances about how the ordinance was passed. But many speakers who addressed the board made little effort to hide that they fear Syrian refugees because they are Muslim.

One resident accused the trustees of “sneaking” last year’s resolution through without consulting the community.

An elderly woman cited comments by Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson, saying Syrian refugees in Jordan’s Zaatari camp are happy in the Middle East and do not want to come to the United States. 

Tim Monger explicitly displayed anti-Muslim rhetoric.

“We watch the TV and we see people beheaded, Christians beheaded because they are Christians,” he said. “And we see civilizations — 4,000 years old — exploded because of Islam.”

Gene Smolyansky, who immigrated from Russia in 1980, said Muslim refugees are not like immigrants who came from Europe and assimilated into society.

“These people you are trying to bring, they will never be American,” he said. “They hate us.”

Smolyansky accused President Obama of working to alter the nation’s demographics.

“Do you know what is Sharia law? Have you heard of that?” he asked the trustees. “That’s what they want to replace the Constitution. Wake up, guys.”

Marilyn Paulette said the United States is on the brink of becoming a third world country, and the government should look after its citizens before bringing in refugees.

“Those people who are having problems in the meddling east should stay in their own country, in their own continent and live with the people of their own language… We cannot afford these people,” she said. 

At the beginning of the meeting, the board agreed to only allow township residents to weigh in on the issue. But an exception was made Peggy Dahlberg, who does not live there because she was representing an organization— the Syrian American Rescue Network.

Members of the audience started shouting over Dahlberg to disrupt her statement. The board had to call a five-minute recess to quell the protests.

Dahlberg highlighted refugees’ economic contributions to communities where they resettle. She said the Rescue Network shares the security concerns of residents, but refugees are the most vigorously vetted newcomers. 

After finishing her two-minute statement, Dahlberg was booed by most of the audience. 

“You cannot judge people based on their origin or religion,” Alia Sulaiman, who immigrated from Syria 20 years ago, told the board. “The only difference between the Syrian refugees and the people who don’t want them in here is that they arrived to the country a little bit earlier.”

Christine Sauvé, southeast communities coordinator for Welcoming Michigan, explained that the program aims to enhance municipalities with large foreign-born populations and help them connect with their residents. 

Trustee Diane Swimmer responded fiercely to the xenophobia expressed by some residents. 

She said she heard fear and hatred. 

Swimmer said the anti-immigration sentiment reminded her of a photo of the ship that her great grandparents arrived on to the United States.

“How many hundreds of thousands of Jews felt this way, coming, landing on Ellis Island,” she said. “I see heads shaking. If you don’t want to vote for me again the next election, have at it.”

Swimmer also scolded residents who interrupted those who spoke in favor of the welcoming resolution.

“I think the people in this room were very unkind to people who wanted to speak, and I’m ashamed,” she said.

Trustees Larry Brown and Steve Kaplan voted for abolishing the Welcoming resolution.

To watch a video of the meeting, click here.