Rather than retreating from his controversial remarks about Dearborn’s Ashura procession, U.S. Rep. John James, a Republican candidate for governor, has escalated his confrontation with the state’s Muslim American community, pledging to designate the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as a terrorist organization if elected in November.

James first drew widespread criticism after appearing on Newsmax, which aired footage of Dearborn’s annual Ashura procession under the headline, “Radical Islam’s takeover of America continues.”

Commenting on the footage, James suggested the participants were extremists.

“I didn’t go overseas to fight extremists just to find them on our doorstep here,” James said. “Michigan will never become a safe haven for extremism.”

The remarks sparked immediate condemnation from elected officials, civil rights organizations and community leaders, who argued that James had falsely portrayed a peaceful religious procession as an extremist gathering.

CAIR condemns remarks

Among the most outspoken critics was CAIR-Michigan, which condemned James for equating Americans peacefully exercising their constitutional rights with violent extremists.

“We condemn John James’ false comparison between peaceful Americans exercising their First Amendment right to assemble and violent extremists he claims to have fought during his service in the unjust and immoral war in Iraq,” said Dawud Walid, executive director of CAIR-Michigan.

Walid added that James had embraced a pattern of anti-Muslim rhetoric that assumes Muslims are extremists unless proven otherwise.

He also noted that Dearborn’s Ashura procession commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.

James escalates rhetoric

Rather than moderating his position, James responded by threatening to designate CAIR as a terrorist organization if he becomes governor.

His campaign described CAIR as a “radical extremist group” and pointed to actions taken by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who have similarly sought to target the organization.

CAIR, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights organization, has challenged those actions in court, arguing they violate constitutional protections and the organization’s right to operate.

Walid compared the attacks on CAIR in Michigan and elsewhere to McCarthyism, referring to the Cold War-era practice of accusing political opponents of disloyalty or subversion without credible evidence.

“The very people John James labeled extremists in Dearborn have family members who were displaced or killed because of the Iraq war,” Walid said.

Freedom of religion — or suspicion of Muslims?

Attempting to deflect accusations of religious intolerance, James said he would defend religious liberty for all faiths.

“Whether you are Christian, Jewish, Muslim or Hindu, I will fiercely defend your religious freedom and every Michigan resident’s right to worship peacefully — or not worship at all,” he said.

He immediately followed that statement, however, by declaring:

“As governor, I will never tolerate extremists who threaten our way of life.”

Critics argue that James’ broader statement undercut his professed commitment to religious freedom by portraying participants in the Ashura procession as potential threats and questioning the loyalty of Muslim Americans solely because they were publicly practicing their faith.

“If you come to America, you must respect our laws, assimilate into our culture, embrace the Constitution and pledge allegiance to the United States,” James said in another statement. “Otherwise, you should go back to your home country.”

Race for governor

James is seeking the Republican nomination for governor against former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox and businessman Perry Johnson in the Aug. 4 primary.

His campaign recently received a significant boost after winning the endorsement of President Trump, strengthening his standing ahead of the start of absentee voting.

In an editorial published last week, The Arab American News criticized James’ comments about the Ashura procession, arguing that his rhetoric reflects a failure to learn from his two unsuccessful statewide campaigns for the U.S. Senate in 2018 and 2020.

The editorial also noted the political contradiction between James’ confrontational approach and Trump’s outreach to Muslim voters in Dearborn and Hamtramck during the 2024 presidential campaign, when the Republican nominee actively sought support from Arab American and Muslim communities that ultimately helped him carry Michigan.

If James secures the Republican nomination in August, he will face the winner of the Democratic primary between Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson in the November general election.