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Thursday, June 3, 2021
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
MULTIMEDIA
A few hundred Dearborn resi-
dents came together outside of the
Dearborn Police Department on Fri-
day evening for a candlelight vigil to
show their support and mourning for
the people of Palestine. Organized by
Dearborn resident and activist Laila
Abunab-Elabed, the event called for
peace and liberation in Palestine.
As the crowd formed, children
were invited to gather in front where
they each received a paper sign to
wear. The signs each read the name
and age of a child killed by airstrikes
in Palestine. A few dozen children
ranging from toddlers to teenagers
stood in front of the crowd quietly,
with many turning to wave at parents
and smile for pictures.
“I have all of you guys behind me,”
Abunab-Elabed said to the crowd as
the group of children formed in front
of her. “I have all of you guys behind
this community and a community
that is behind humanity.”
Dearborn lawyer and poet Has-
san Salamey stood with the children
while he read a poem and prayer to
the crowd. “In order for you to jour-
ney with me,” Salamey began, “I need
you all to close your eyes, take four
deep breaths.”
As the crowd stood and listened
with their eyes closed, Salamey
spoke on the importance of unity
and understanding between various
faiths and backgrounds. His poem
continued, “Tonight we stand as the
unified children of Abraham, as the
sons and daughters of Muhammad,
Moses and Jesus.”
He closed with a prayer in Arabic,
before leading the crowd in a moment
of silence.
Following Salamey’s reading, the
children returned to their families
as attendees helped each other light
their candles one by one.
Abunab-Elabed spoke once more
as the candles were lit, emphasizing
the importance of youth in the com-
munity. “Your children are going to
be able to tell these stories,” Abunab-
Elabed said, “You are instilling such
a beautiful tradition into them. They
are going to grow up and be even
stronger, and then their children will
be even stronger.”
The crowd stood silently with
their candles for several minutes,
before beginning chants of “free, free
Palestine!” and “end the occupation!”,
led by Salamey’s young daughter.
As the vigil wrapped up with clos-
ing words from Salamey and Abunab-
Elabed, as organizers arranged small
candles reading “Palestine” on the
ground where the group of children
had stood before. These candles were
lit as the event wrapped up and con-
tinued to burn while attendees slowly
dispersed.
Dearborn community holds candlelight vigil for Palestine
BECCA MAHON
Summer Managing Photo Editor