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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