Yesterday, a man allegedly hurled a brick at the Dearborn Heights campaign office of Abbas Alawieh, a Democratic candidate for state Senate, and, according to a recording released by the campaign, shouted an anti-Arab slur as he walked away. Alawieh says he confronted and recorded the man, then detailed the encounter in a campaign press release as the already heated contest for the newly redrawn district ramps up across southeast Michigan.
Candidate Says He Confronted Suspect And Shared Audio
Alawieh says he stepped outside his Dearborn Heights office to confront the individual and that his campaign later released audio of the exchange, a sequence described in a campaign press release and reported by The Detroit News. In the recording, the man allegedly says he targeted the office "because the candidate is a 'f---ing Arab,'" according to the same tape. The campaign provided the recording to local reporters and said it intends to keep documenting any intimidation aimed at the office.
Alawieh’s Run And His Local Base
Alawieh is running in Michigan’s newly drawn 2nd State Senate District, which covers Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, and nearby communities, and launched his campaign in late 2025, according to his campaign site. Abbas Alawieh’s campaign site highlights his background as a former congressional chief of staff and community organizer. Local outlets report that the district’s large Arab-American population has given the race outsized attention this cycle, as noted by Arab American News.
Backdrop Of Tension After Temple Attack
The incident comes weeks after the March attack at Temple Israel in nearby West Bloomfield that triggered an FBI terrorism investigation and heightened security concerns across southeast Michigan, according to reporting by the Associated Press. That assault, along with other recent threats, pushed officials and congregations to tighten security and prompted civic leaders to warn about rising tensions. The broader climate has left campaigns and community groups on edge as the election season grinds on.
In a statement summarized by The Detroit News, Alawieh’s campaign said the recording captured a deliberate, Islamophobic act and reiterated that the campaign will continue documenting intimidation. It was not immediately clear whether any arrests had been made. Local residents and community leaders say they will be watching closely to see how law enforcement and elected officials respond as the primary draws closer.
