DEARBORN, DEARBORN HEIGHTS – As online campaigns and hostile media reports continue to target Dearborn, home to one of the largest Muslim populations in the U.S., concerns are growing about potential violence against the community. Last week, local mosques faced new threats, prompting federal and local authorities to step up security.

The FBI announced the arrest of 32-year-old Macin Horstemeyer of Lynchburg, Virginia, on charges of inciting terrorism, conspiracy to commit terrorist acts, making public threats and issuing online threats. According to investigators, Horstemeyer, who has been held without bond at Blue Ridge Jail, told agents that if he ever carried out an attack, it would target a mosque in Dearborn with an AR-15 rifle.

Horstemeyer’s threats reportedly began in February and continued for months in violent comments on YouTube, including praise for White supremacist Dylann Roof, who murdered nine Black parishioners in a Charleston church in 2015. While admitting to holding White supremacist beliefs, Horstemeyer denied belonging to any organization. Google flagged his posts to the FBI, triggering the investigation.

In a separate case, the FBI and local police are investigating a series of threats made against the Islamic Institute of America in Dearborn Heights. Authorities said a caller from Texas threatened to “burn down” the mosque and, in another instance, threatened to bomb it. Police were stationed outside the mosque’s entrance Monday night, just one day after a mass shooting at a Mormon church in Genesee County left four people dead.

Sayyed Hassan Qazwini stands in front of the Islamic Institute of Knowledge building in Dearborn Heights. – File photo

Local response and heightened security

On Tuesday, Dearborn Heights Police Chief Ahmed Haidar said his department received reports of a potential threat targeting a mosque in his city. He said his department was actively investigating the origin and nature of the threat and working with federal and local agencies to identify suspects.

Haidar confirmed that his officers are conducting extra patrols around houses of worship.

“We take these threats very seriously and are working alongside the FBI to protect our community,” he said. “No place of worship in Dearborn Heights will be left vulnerable. We will remain on alert to protect every individual’s right to worship safely.”

We understand how unsettling incidents like this are — particularly when they are directed toward a place of worship that serves as a sanctuary for many,” Haidar said in a statement on Facebook. “Let me be clear . . . we will not tolerate any acts of hate, intimidation or violence in our city. Every resident, regardless of faith or heritage, deserves to feel safe and respected — and our officers are dedicated to upholding that.”

Dearborn Heights police said a suspect has been identified, but they are not releasing his identity because the investigation is ongoing. Media reports said the suspect is a Texas resident.

Mayor Bill Bazzi echoed that message.

“The city will not tolerate any kind of threat in our community — whether directed at a place of worship, a business, a resident or a visitor,” he said.

In Dearborn, Police Chief Issa Shahin, who himself has been subjected to online harassment because of his Muslim faith, announced increased patrols and enhanced visibility of officers around all local religious sites.

“In the wake of the tragic Grand Blanc shooting, the Dearborn Police Department is taking additional steps to safeguard our community,” Shahin said.

“We are closely monitoring and investigating all threats, including those made on social media, and are working with federal and state partners to provide the highest levels of safety and security.”

“These threats targeting Michigan mosques reflect a disturbing national trend of emboldened anti-Muslim bigotry,” Dawud Walid, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)–Michigan, said in a statement. “No one should fear for their safety when attending their house of worship. We call on local, state and federal authorities to provide increased security support to Islamic institutions across Michigan and to treat these threats with the urgency and seriousness they deserve.

“We also urge the public to stand in solidarity with the Muslim community — and all other minority communities — against hate and extremism. Now is the time for all Americans of conscience to speak out against the normalization of bigoted rhetoric and violence.”

A security vehicle parked in front of the Islamic Institute of America in Dearborn Heights.

Dearborn under a coordinated smear campaign

For weeks, Dearborn has faced what appears to be a coordinated campaign portraying the city as an “Islamic enclave” hostile to American and Christian values. Tactics have included exploiting Mayor Abdullah Hammoud’s sharp exchange with far-right activist Ted Barham, circulating lists of Muslim officials in city government and accusing them of “taking over” Dearborn and driving out White Christians.

Billionaire Elon Musk also entered the fray with a post on X (formerly Twitter), sharing a video from the anti-Muslim Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI). The clip, from a Dearborn pro-Palestine rally last year, was framed as evidence of Muslims calling for the “collapse of the American empire.” Musk captioned his repost on September 23: “This city already has over 55 percent Muslim residents, and it’s clear they don’t intend to stop there.”

The call to prayer controversy

The latest flashpoint involves the broadcasting of the Islamic call to prayer (adhan) in East Dearborn neighborhoods. A 2004 city ordinance, amended in 2010, allows mosques to amplify the call to prayer through outdoor speakers. Recently, however, some residents have raised complaints.

Local CBS News ran a segment featuring objections from residents, and at a recent City Council meeting, Andrea Unger, a resident of East Dearborn, presented a petition opposing the dawn adhan broadcast from the Dearborn Community Center (Masjid Al-Salam) on Schaefer Road. She argued that it violates the city’s nighttime noise ordinance, which caps sound levels at 55 decibels between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.

“Sometimes at 5:30 a.m., the call to prayer wakes us up,” she said. “We can hear it in our yards and even inside our homes.”

Council President Mike Sareini acknowledged the possibility of ordinance violations and said the Council is awaiting police reports before taking further action.

“We’re trying to get this under control,” he said. “It’s illegal, and we do not support it.”

Nabeel Bahalwan, director of the Dearborn Community Center, said there has been an ongoing complaint from a small group of residents and he insists no rules are being broken. Bahalwan said police visited his site and informed him that he was within the allowable noise limit.

“This is crazy. We don’t wanna bother anybody,” Bahalwan told CBS News Detroit. “The city came in, the inspector, and there is a monitoring for the voice. We are even below the average of the rules.”

Bahalwan said he does not believe his mosque is violating any ordinance; however, he is concerned that some residents aren’t happy.

“We wanna keep our relationship with the neighbors peaceful,” he said. “If they have any problems, they can talk to us.”

On Oct. 1, Bahalwan confirmed that the Dearborn Community Center has, for now, opted to turn off its outside speakers.

Other mosques in East Dearborn also broadcast the call to prayer and have received complaints in recent months.