Michigan: 10,000 rally in Dearborn in support of Lebanon

Carrying banners saying "Stop Israeli Terrorism" and chanting antiwar slogans, some 10,000 people rallied in the center of metro Detroit's Arab-American community in Dearborn on Tuesday, demanding that the U.S. government put pressure on Israel to halt attacks in Lebanon. 10,000 rally in Dearborn in support of Lebanon

By NIRAJ WARIKOO and BEN SCHMITT

Carrying banners saying "Stop Israeli Terrorism" and chanting antiwar slogans, some 10,000 people rallied in the center of metro Detroit's Arab-American community in Dearborn on Tuesday, demanding that the U.S. government put pressure on Israel to halt attacks in Lebanon.

Although the protesters were peaceful, their message was strong, representing a profound difference of opinion between two of metro Detroit's most vital communities.

Arab-American marchers carried signs saying "Down, down Israel" and chanted, "One, two, three, four. Stop the bombing. Stop the War."

Meanwhile, members of the Jewish community — who have a rally scheduled for 7 tonight at Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield — have repeatedly said that Israel's air strikes on Lebanese targets have been intended to protect Israel from the militant group Hizballah, which is strong in southern Lebanon. Hizballah also has sent rockets and bombs into northern Israel.

Israel's attacks on Lebanon began about a week ago after Hizballah guerrillas attacked a patrol on the border in northern Israel and captured two soldiers.

As many as 226 people have been killed in Lebanon. About 25 have been killed in Israel.

Police estimated the crowd in Dearborn at more than 10,000. Protesters, some draped in the Lebanese flag, marched to Hemlock Park. There, speakers shouted their message to crowds in hopes of getting the Bush administration's attention.

Saying that Israel is killing children and bombing innocent citizens, one of the speakers, Osama Siblani, of the Congress of Arab-American Organizations, said, "This is terror. They are cowards."

The crowd cheered wildly.

"We know that the president is being bought by the Zionist lobby. We know that the (U.S.) Congress is being bought by the Zionist lobby. But "We know that the American people are great people," he said.

For days, reports have been coming to southeast Michigan's Arab-American community of family and friends trapped in Lebanon.

At one point, a speaker held a portrait of Hassan Nasrallah, Hizballah's secretary-general. The crowd burst into applause.

Many people among metro Detroit's Arab-American population say they believe Hizballah — considered a terrorist group by the U.S. government — helped end Israel's occupation of Lebanon six years ago.

The United Nations said about half a million Lebanese have fled southern Lebanon since the recent fighting began.

Bilal Amen, 24, of Dearborn said he's been unable to contact aunts and uncles in the region.

"It's heartbreaking," he said. "Whole villages are leveled. Everything is ruined."

Wajih Hakim, 51, also of Dearborn, said his wife and four children went to Lebanon to visit family two weeks ago and have been unable to leave.

"They're seeing hell over there," he said. "I've been on the phone with them and they want to come home, but they can't find a way out."

Hakim was carrying a large American flag.

"I'm an American first," he said, "but this is a very important cause to me."

The crowd was represented by people of all ages, with parents pushing babies in strollers, teenagers in T-shirts with slogans and older men and women in traditional garb.

Danielle Caltoum, 19, of Sterling Heights walked with a sign that said, "Israel = Terrorism. Get out of Lebanon." She said she has relatives in Lebanon.

"America needs to stop supporting Israel," she said. "Maybe our demonstrating can make it stop."

Some of those views concern many in the Jewish communities of metro Detroit.

"No one wanted this war," said Wendy Wagenheim, president of the Jewish Community Council, a coalition of about 200 Jewish groups in Michigan. "And certainly, emotions are running very high at this point. But there is nothing that will be served by importing the tensions apparently in the Middle East to metropolitan Detroit.

"Unfortunately, there are innocent victims on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border, and we pray that peace is restored as soon as possible."


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