Dearborn City Council meeting erupts over religious tension claims

During a routine Dearborn City Council meeting in Michigan, Pastor Lorenzo Sewell of 180 Church sparked confrontation by accusing local leaders of allowing Sharia law to govern the city. Sewell claimed that the city is no longer operating under American laws, stating, “America, we have lost this city. This is a city that is no longer up under American laws; we are up under Sharia law.”

Sewell’s remarks reflect growing tensions in Dearborn, a city with a significant Arab and Muslim population, and follow several anti-Islam demonstrations. While there is no evidence of legislation intended to codify Islamic religious rules into municipal law, Sewell argued that local authorities provide unequal treatment and protections to Muslim residents under the guise of religious liberty.

Specifically, Sewell and other critics cited an incident involving the alleged assault of political activist Jake Lang by Muslim counterprotesters. Sewell argued that the lack of arrests in that case was evidence that the city is following Sharia law rather than American law.