A Dearborn City Council meeting grew heated Tuesday after a local pastor accused city leaders of allowing Islamic law to supersede American law, the latest confrontation surrounding protests directed at the city’s large Muslim population.
Lorenzo Sewell, pastor of 180 Church, told council members that Dearborn was no longer operating under the same laws as the rest of the country.
“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,” Sewell said, according to Fox News. “Enough is enough.”
He added: “You are only 1% of this nation. We are not a nation of Muslims.”
"America, we have lost this city."
Pastor Lorenzo Sewell unloaded during a Dearborn, Michigan, city meeting, accusing the city of operating under Sharia law.
"This is a city that is no longer up under American laws; we are up under Sharia law. We will not have it anymore,"… pic.twitter.com/RxR9jzupc3
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 21, 2026
Sewell and other critics instead argue that city officials have enforced existing laws unevenly, particularly when disputes involve Muslim religious gatherings and protesters who oppose them.
That criticism intensified following an altercation earlier this month involving activist Jake Lang and participants in Dearborn’s annual Arbaeen March. Video from the confrontation shows Lang, who was carrying a sign reading “deport 100 million, save America,” being struck from behind before counterprotesters chased him toward his vehicle. At least one person was seen attempting to throw a rock at him.
Lang later wrote online: “Detroit Crime News JUST released video of 3 BARBARIC Muslims picking up large rocks to STONE me to death!!! For preaching the NAME OF JESUS!!!”
Democrats in Michigan have nominated Abdul El-Sayed for Senate, a Muslim candidate who’s family has been connected to helping terrorist organizations.
Dearborn police said one person was taken into custody following the confrontation and was being held without bond while the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office reviewed possible charges. Police also asked the public for help identifying other people suspected of unlawful conduct during the incident.
Sewell argued Tuesday that the city’s response had been inadequate.
“You are not up under American law. You are up under Sharia law. That is the reason why you have made no arrests,” Sewell told the council, referring to the confrontation.
Lang has repeatedly staged confrontational protests involving Muslim communities. In online posts, he has discussed armed action against what he has called “Muslim hords” and has appeared in videos performing baptisms while dressed in military-style clothing and body armor.
Ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, Sewell, Lang and other demonstrators publicized plans to attend and called on city officials to address what they described as growing Muslim influence and the application of Sharia principles in local government.
Mayor Abdullah Hammoud rejected the accusation and said critics were misrepresenting a city that includes residents of several religious traditions.
“When people portray Dearborn as some place that has been overtaken by Muslims, they aren’t simply attacking our Muslim and Arab communities. They’re also trying to erase our Christian brothers and sisters who have contributed immeasurably to the city and folks of other faiths,” Hammoud said during the meeting. “Ultimately, they’re attacking something much larger than any one faith or community. They are attacking the idea that all of us can belong to America at the same time.”
Dearborn has one of the largest Arab-American communities in the country. Detailed data from the 2020 Census showed that roughly 54.5 percent of the city’s approximately 110,000 residents reported Middle Eastern or North African ancestry, with the overwhelming majority identifying with Arab origins.
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