We, the undersigned, express our deep concern for the recent incidents of Islamophobia during the October 14 Board of Trustees Meeting. On October 14, 2024, residents shared their perspectives about a recent post Board of Trustees member Stephanie Fakih made addressing Zionism. During the public comment, however, hate speech against Muslims had become overwhelming. One female non resident stated “Jewish people never called Muslims scum, never called them names. Terrorists, yes. They are terrorists. They are common enemies.” This statement not only is hate speech, but also incites violence against the Muslims of Bloomfield Township. The Board of Trustees’ lack of action in response to this remark, which clearly breaks decorum, undermined the core values of this Township and instead, set a dangerous precedent that this type of language is acceptable within our community. 

On October 3rd, 2024, Trustee Stephanie Fakih made remarks expressing opposition to Zionism, an ideological and political stance. It is critical to recognize that Zionism is an ideology, not a religion. Her comments, while direct, were in no way intended to disparage or insult individuals of the Jewish faith and did not consist of any assertions that might suggest prejudices towards the religion of Judaism. The conflation of legitimate critique of Zionism with antisemitism is a misunderstanding that has no legal or moral standing. We emphasize that opposition to Zionism, like any other political or ideological view, falls squarely within the bounds of protected speech in a democratic society. While Trustee Fakih explained this crucial point during the October 14th meeting, one of the trustees rudely said “f*ck” into his live microphone. This was heard by all the trustees but never addressed, demonstrating that the Board of Trustees allows disrespectful speech from the trustees themselves targeting Trustee Fakih. The Islamophobia directly from the Board of Trustees becomes clear, as Trustee Fakih was censured for statements she made on a private social media account, but the the trustee who said “f*ck” during a public meeting was completely excused.

The above mentioned incident highlights the increasing Islamophobia within the Township. During the October 14th Board of Trustees meeting, commentators created a hostile and unsafe environment promoted by Supervisor Walsh. The audience repeatedly cheered for racial slurs and dangerous threats made towards Trustee Fakih. Supervisor Walsh enabled this harassment while simultaneously shutting down any show of support for Trustee Fakih. Comments against Trustee Fakih were met with uninterrupted cheering after every comment. When attendees cheered in support of Trustee Fakih, however, Supervisor Walsh told them to be quiet. In doing so, Supervisor Walsh showed clear favor towards the Zionist community, allowing them to display their Islamophobia towards Trustee Fakih.

The October 14th meeting also highlights key functional flaws consistent in previous meetings. The room reached full capacity before the meeting had even begun, and consequently many Arab, Muslim, and other non-Zionist constituents were prohibited from entering the room, further preventing some from speaking during public comment. This arrangement resulted in the silencing of non-Zionist voices by the Board of Trustees. Therefore, this arrangement was a violation of Section 15.263 of the Michigan State Constitution, where “(1) All meetings of a public body must be open to the public and must be held in a place available to the general public” during Board meetings. A significant number of the public commentators were not constituents of the district. Yet, these non-constituents were given a platform that constituents were denied.

We request the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees to:

1.     Reconcile the silencing of Arab and Muslim voices by arranging a forum and inviting a Palestinian speaker to address the Board of Trustees before January 2025.

2.     Post a written condemnation by the Board of Trustees and an apology from Supervisor Walsh publicly condemning the use of racial slurs and baseless accusations during public comment sessions and apologizing for the prejudices displayed by Supervisor Walsh during the October 14th meeting. Affirm the Board of Trustees’ commitment to conducting future meetings with decorum and equal respect for all individuals, no matter race, gender, religion, etc.

3.     Uphold the principles of free speech and minimize rampant Islamophobia in the township by delegating funding for an anti-Islamophobia committee in collaboration with local Islamic congregations.

4.     Provide one additional room for all future Board of Trustees meetings in the event of overcrowding. Prioritize commentators in the main room to avoid reaching full capacity and consequently prohibiting constituents from attending the meeting and giving public comments. 

5.  Prevent prioritization of non-constituents over constituents during public comments by verifying commentators' Bloomfield Township residence using federally issued identification prior to giving their public comment.

6.  Refrain from penalizing elected officials for expressing their personal views publicly, especially views in defense of human rights, by officially withdrawing the censure of Trustee Fakih.

7.  Prove the Board of Trustees’ commitment to holding all trustees accountable for unacceptable behavior during board meetings by identifying and censuring the trustee who said “f*ck” during Trustee Fakih’s speech at the October 14th meeting.