DEARBORN, DEARBORN HEIGHTS – During the blessed month of Ramadan, numerous official and community iftar dinners took place in the Dearborn area after a period of intermittent pause in such activities in recent years due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the repercussions of the Israeli wars on Gaza and Lebanon, which heavily affected Arab and Muslim American communities in Michigan and across the United States.

In this context, Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud hosted an official iftar dinner on Wednesday, March 12, at Byblos Banquet Center, attended by some 700 people, including many elected and government officials such as Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist, Wayne County Deputy Executive Assad Turfe, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson, Wayne County Commissioner Sam Baydoun, Dearborn Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Glenn Maleyko and Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin, among others.

Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud hosted an official iftar dinner on Wednesday, March 12, at Byblos Banquet Center.

A unifying message

In a brief speech before the iftar, Hammoud highlighted Dearborn’s values of diversity and inclusion. He stated that Ramadan’s meanings strengthen social bonds among people of various backgrounds and foster a spirit of compassion and solidarity.

“It’s rare for me to attend an event where White, Black and brown people, Christians, Muslims and Jews all gather in one room,” he said. “I believe this is a testament to Dearborn – a truly welcoming city.”

Hammoud expressed hope for more gatherings that enhance social understanding and strengthen ties and communication across different social segments, calling for expanding and deepening interfaith dialogue.

“Even though we talk about the need for interfaith dialogue, it’s rare to see Sunnis and Shi’a, Yemenis, Lebanese, Iraqis, Palestinians and Syrians sitting down to break their fast together,” he said. “I believe it’s time we do more in this space.”

While fasting and prayer are fundamental aspects of worship during Ramadan, acts of kindness, charity and human connection are also essential parts of the holy month’s spirituality.

“Fasting aligns with the meanings of piety and compassion,” Hammoud noted, reaffirming Dearborn’s commitment to embracing cultural diversity and promoting values of openness and coexistence. He extended his greetings to city residents and all Muslims around the world on the occasion of Ramadan.

Dearborn Heights Fire Fighters iftar dinner

Social solidarity

As a gesture reflecting solidarity and communication between the local community and public institutions, Dearborn Heights City Council Chairman Mo Baydoun resumed his annual iftar honoring the city’s Fire Department, which was paused last year in solidarity with victims of the Israeli wars on Gaza and Lebanon.

The iftar, which Baydoun hosted for the fourth time at the Dearborn Heights Fire Department on Monday, the 10th day of Ramadan (prior to the resumption of Israeli attacks on Gaza), originated as a friendly joke in 2021 when Fire Chief Phil Hart asked then-Councilman Baydoun to host his team for an iftar dinner — Baydoun agreed on the condition that Hart would fast that day.

This year’s firefighter iftar drew around 100 attendees from diverse social and ethnic backgrounds in the religiously and culturally rich city, including Turfe, State Rep. Alabas Farhat (D- Dearborn), Wayne County Sheriff Raphael Washington, former City Council President Dave Abdullah and Councilmen Hassan Saab and Ahmad Hassan.

Chief Hart welcomed the guests, expressing his happiness at the growing attendance.

“This is a great event,” he said. “It started small, but today we have a large turnout from residents and local leaders. We promise to continue hosting this dinner as an annual tradition as long as you keep coming.”

Hart noted that the number of firefighters trying fasting in past years had grown, saying that between 12 and 15 of them fasted on the day of the event.

“I didn’t count precisely because I was fasting,” he joked.

Hart emphasized that this initiative had strengthened understanding between firefighters and the local community.

“Some of our firefighters experiencing fasting and breaking the fast with others allows them to better understand Islamic values in this beautiful city, which is home to a growing number of Muslims.”

Baydoun, who is also running for mayor this year, expressed hope that the iftar would become a permanent tradition.

“Dearborn Heights firefighters are not just city employees; they are an inseparable part of our community,” he said. “They always work for our safety, and we must show them appreciation and gratitude.”

Baydoun told The Arab American News that the “firefighter iftar” aims to strengthen ties between the local community and public institutions in the city. The event also gives firefighters a chance to experience fasting and understand Muslim sentiments during Ramadan while fostering collaboration and understanding among all parties.

Rabab Al-Sadr expressed gratitude to Lebanese Americans in Michigan for their continued trust and support for the Sadr Foundation. – Photo by Abbas Shehab

Local organizations

Ramadan in the Detroit area features many charitable iftars organized by local institutions and associations. Among the largest is the annual dinner by the Sadr Foundation – North America, which attracted more than 1,500 attendees this past Saturday and Sunday at the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn. The event was attended by Rabab Al-Sadr, the sister of Imam Musa Al-Sadr, who came from Lebanon, along with her nephew, Sayyed Hamid Al-Sadr, and her son, Sayyed Nijad Charafeddine, general director of the Sadr Foundation.

With the presence of community, religious and business leaders from the Dearborn area, foundation officials thanked the Lebanese diaspora for supporting the foundation’s humanitarian programs, which aim to “build a just society free from ignorance, poverty and disease,” according to its website.

Rabab Al-Sadr expressed gratitude to Lebanese Americans in Michigan for their continued trust and support. Charafeddine noted that this year’s event held special significance due to the impact of the recent Israeli war on Lebanon, which displaced tens of thousands of people from southern and eastern regions.

The event featured a raffle for two tickets to visit Shi’a holy sites and highlighted the foundation’s accomplishments in education, health, economy and women’s empowerment.

In another large gathering, the Taha Foundation held its second annual iftar on Sunday at the Bint Jebail Cultural Center in Dearborn. Attended by a broad segment of the community, the event raised funds for the foundation’s parent initiative, Ashura Project, which has organized an annual Ashura march from Fordson High School to Ford Woods Park since 2017, marking the Arbaeen of Imam Hussein.

The event also included a raffle to visit holy shrines. Ali Nasser, head of the Al-Mustafa Scouts at the Taha Foundation, thanked the community for supporting the foundation’s educational, cultural and social initiatives. He noted that the organization moved all of its programs last year to its new headquarters in Dearborn Heights.

Founded in 2013, the Taha Foundation purchased a large property in Dearborn Heights in 2022 to serve as its permanent location “to promote Islamic values and prepare youth to be successful future leaders,” according to its officials.

Nasser said the organization faced financial hardship last year due to the effects of the Israeli wars on Gaza and Lebanon, but overcame it thanks to “community support.” It continued programs like Ashura and the children’s scouting program, which welcomed 25 new members last year, bringing the total to 531 scouts from 324 families.

He also noted that the foundation successfully converted a church on the new property into a multi-purpose hall called Zahraa Hall, which now hosts numerous events, including activities by the Nargis Foundation, an independent women’s organization in Dearborn.

After a short video highlighting the foundation’s activities, President Najah Husseini gave a speech emphasizing the importance of financial and moral support, affirming that “this support benefits the believers in both this life and the hereafter.”

The final week of Ramadan is expected to include more iftars organized by local religious centers and non-profit community organizations.

Kfarhouna Club held a special Iftar dinner at Byblos Banquet in Dearborn. – Photo by Dearborn.org

Social Clubs

Ramadan in Dearborn is also notable for the iftars hosted by social clubs tied to hometowns and villages such as Bint Jbeil, Barachit, Tebnine and others.

In this spirit, residents of Kfarhouna, a village in southern Lebanon, hosted an iftar on Sunday at Byblos Banquet Center, with hundreds of attendees and speeches promoting community cooperation and fraternity.

Ghanem Raishouni, public relations director of the Kfarhouna Club, emphasized the importance of engaging all components of the Arab American community in Dearborn. Dr. Hussein Ajrouche highlighted the club’s recent efforts and achievements, including community service and enhancing cooperation among residents from their hometown in the Jezzine District.

Similarly, the Salha Social Club held its third annual iftar at Byblos Banquet Center last week, with a large crowd of residents from the village of Salha, one of the seven occupied Palestinian villages.

The event saw wide participation from clergy, community figures and a delegation from the Amal Social Foundation.

Club Secretary General Ghassan Aoun spoke about the values of Ramadan and praised the large turnout, calling for strengthening bonds of love and connection among fellow townspeople. The celebration concluded with distributing gifts to children.

Salha is a depopulated Palestinian village located 12 km north of Safed, adjacent to Maroun Al-Ras on the Lebanese side. It was occupied by Israeli Haganah forces, along with nearby villages, on October 30, 1948.

The Salha Social Club held its third annual Iftar at Byblos Banquet in Dearborn. – Photo by Dearborn.org