A regularly scheduled Dearborn City Council meeting on August 18, 2026, became a flashpoint when Detroit pastor Lorenzo Sewell of 180 Church accused the city of operating under Sharia law rather than American law.
Sewell told officials: “America, we have lost this city. This is a city that is no longer up under American laws; we are up under Sharia law. We will not have it anymore. Enough is enough.” He added that Muslims make up only 1% of the nation and declared, “We are not a nation of Muslims.”
His comments came during a period of heightened anti-Islam protests in Dearborn. Sewell and others have argued that city leaders apply a double standard that favors Muslim residents under the banner of religious freedom, rather than pointing to any formal effort to enact Sharia-based legislation.
A central example they cited was an assault on activist Jake Lang during Dearborn’s annual Arbaeen March earlier in August. Video showed Lang punched from behind while holding a sign, then chased by counter-protesters, with at least one person throwing a rock. Lang later described the incident as an attempt to stone him for preaching the name of Jesus.
Dearborn police arrested one person at the scene and later identified additional suspects; three men were ultimately charged. Sewell and Lang maintained the response was insufficient and claimed it showed the city was not applying American law equally.
Lang, a frequent critic of the city’s Muslim community, has posted videos of himself conducting baptisms in tactical gear and made inflammatory comments about immigration and Islam. He and Sewell had announced plans to protest the council meeting to demand greater scrutiny of Muslim influence.
Mayor Abdullah Hammoud rejected the characterization. He said portrayals of Dearborn as “overtaken by Muslims” attack both the city’s Muslim and Arab residents and its Christian community, which has also contributed significantly. “They are attacking the idea that all of us can belong to America at the same time,” he said.
According to the 2020 U.S. Census, Dearborn became the first American city with a majority Middle Eastern or North African population, at roughly 54.5% of residents. The meeting and surrounding protests highlighted ongoing tensions over culture, law enforcement, and identity in the community.
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