A City Council member is offering a resolution to recognize Islam and Muslim holy days, but critics questioned the timing and merit of his proposal.
City Councilman Robert Constan says that his resolution, which could be considered as early as tonight by the City Council, is intended to foster unity.
“There has been a lot of bad press about the Islamic faith and some extremists in the Islamic faith, and this was to sort of say that the Islamic faith is a faith of peace,” Constan said.
But Nasser Beydoun, executive director of the American-Arab Chamber of Commerce and a Dearborn Heights resident, criticized Constan for his role in the City Council campaign of 2001.
Last week, Constan told The Detroit News that a political consultant he employed was responsible for polling during that campaign, in the wake of the attacks of September 11, in which residents were asked if they were aware that some candidates were of Arab descent and that one was Muslim.
Beydoun said Constan “has lost credibility.”
“He is providing a resolution that is recognizing Islam, but we really don’t need the Dearborn Heights City Council to recognize Islam,” Beydoun said.
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee called the campaign activity “most disturbing.”
“Although the resolution seems to be a decent gesture, many community members believe that it is meant to deflect attention from the push poll’ story,” the ADC said.
Constan said he prepared the resolution before The News published its report.