Dearborn Arab Festival Canceled over Anti-Muslim Sentiments

Organizers of an annual Arab festival in Dearborn, Michigan attended by many Muslims decided to cancel this year’s event following four years of tension between attendees and opponents of Islam, Christian News reported.

The City and event organizers reportedly faced insurance and liability issues after being sued by two separate groups claiming that their First Amendment rights were violated by police. In 2010, David Wood, Nabeel Qureshi and Paul Rezkalla were arrested after they refused to move to another area following complaints to police that they had been harassing visitors to the Arab International Festival in Dearborn. The four were eventually acquitted of charges of disturbing the peace.

The American Freedom Law Center in Michigan then filed a lawsuit against the City of Dearborn over the arrests, resulting in a settlement agreement that included a public apology on the city’s website and, according to The Detroit Free Press, payment of $300,000 in attorneys fees.