Right wing social
media users are falsely claiming that there was a pro-ISIS rally in Dearborn.
And they have a photo of a large group of people with black flags on Warren
Avenue to support their fabrication.

The crowd in the
picture was actually demonstrating against ISIS. However, perceptions often
trump reality. 

Local media and
national publications provided evidence refuting posts saying the rally was to
support terrorism. But the misconceptions persist. The photo has been shared
thousands of times on blogs, Facebook and Twitter and it’s still gaining
viewers.

While the fault
for this grave falsification lies in the right wing Islamophobic industry, the
controversy could have been avoided.

The demonstration commemorated
the 40th day of Ashura, which marks Imam Hussain’s (AS) martyrdom.

Hussain, the
grandson of the prophet Mohamad (PBUH), was killed in the battle of Karbala for
refusing to pledge allegiance to the second Umayyad ruler in 680 A.D.

Last year, we
published an editorial on the subject urging the community to rethink the
Ashura procession. The paper faced a vicious backlash from readers who did not
understand our message. But the spread of claims that Dearborn held a pro-ISIS
rally after the San Bernardino shooting confirms what we have warned against.

Black flags are
used to express grief for the martyrdom of Imam Hussain.

“But to the
average American who does not read Arabic and knows little, if any, about Islam
and the battle of Karbala, the black flags all over Dearborn might look awfully
similar to the flags of extremists overseas,” we wrote last year. We stand
by this statement. 

To the credit of
the Karbala Center, which organized the rally, the procession had more red and
green flags this year. But black flags associated with Ashura have become a
phenomenon and were present at the rally.

Black signs with
“ya Hussain” written in Arabic can be seen on many Dearborn homes and
even cars.

These flags do not
benefit the cause of Imam Hussain, but they harm our community by fueling
misconceptions and giving bigots an opportunity to attack Muslim Americans.

Muslim Americans
are going through a critical time. Hate crimes are on the rise. Verbal attacks
by politicians and media pundits against out community are ongoing. 

The last thing we
should do is facilitate hatred against our society.

The First
Amendment grants residents the right to express their religious beliefs in any
way they want. But simply because you can do something, it doesn’t mean you
should.

Last year, we were
accused of aiming to take away the freedom of religion of community members who
observe Ashura. That was not the case.

Far from it, we
are merely encouraging our readers to look beyond their personal traditions and
consider the wellbeing of the entire community during these critical times.

We reiterate what
we wrote last year:

“We know that
matters of worship are not grounds for compromise. But Ashura, whose tragic
events took place about 50 years after the death of the Prophet Mohammad
(PBUH), is a cultural commemoration of Imam Hussain’s legacy. Its rituals
differ in various countries. It is not observed the same way in Karbala, Iraq
as it is in Dahiyeh, Lebanon. Hence, we do not need to replicate the traditions
in the Arab World, which could come into conflict with our existence.”

We respect all
religious beliefs and practices. But the same First Amendment that grants
freedom of religion also gives us the freedom to express our thoughts.

Bigotry does not
adhere to facts and logic. And no matter what the Muslim community does, myths
about sharia law and no-go zones in Dearborn may persist. There are even
photoshopped pictures depicting the local Muslim community as sympathetic to
extremism.

What we can do is be inclusive and present the
best image of ourselves and our community to stop the spread of Islamophobia.