Following Dr. Abdul El-Sayed’s victory in the Michigan Democratic Senate primary, social media platforms saw a surge of videos depicting individuals in Dearborn, Michigan, walking along a sidewalk wearing traditional head and face coverings while carrying banners.
Some users characterized the footage as resembling “horror movie scenes,” with others expressing shock that such events were taking place within the United States.
An Aug. 5 post on X claimed, “OUTRAGEOUS: Dearborn, Michigan has been completely conquered by radical Muslims who just installed Abdul El-Sayed as the Democratic U.S. Senate nominee.”
Another post on X tied the footage directly to the election outcome, writing, “Congratulations to these Abdul El-Sayed voters in Michigan on their victory in the Democratic primary.”
Other accounts misrepresented the purpose of the gathering entirely.
An Aug. 2 X post featuring alternative footage stated, “45,000 ‘SOLDIERS’ JUST TOOK OVER THE STREETS OF DEARBORN,” adding, “Tens of thousands flooded Michigan this weekend in a massive Islamic procession — black flags, Arabic chants, Hezbollah-linked imagery — a scene ripped straight out of the Middle East.” This narrative of 45,000 marching “soldiers” was echoed in subsequent posts on Aug. 5.
In reality, claims that “soldiers” have taken over Dearborn are false and stem from a lack of context. The event is an annual procession observing Arbaeen, a religious commemoration marking the end of a 40-day mourning period for Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad who died in battle in 680 CE.
Held within Dearborn’s heavily Arab demographic, this local tradition has taken place since 2004. Similar Arbaeen walks are also held in other parts of the U.S., including Los Angeles County.
This year’s procession in Dearborn took place on August 2 and drew large crowds. A supporter of the event told The Detroit News that the practice centers on “honoring freedom and kindness.”
The initial video was posted on August 3 by the Instagram handle “tears_of_rukaya”—a name also visible on a banner in the footage—with the caption, “Thousands gathered in Dearborn, Michigan to commemorate Arbaeen.”
Michigan’s primary voting concluded on August 4, with El-Sayed declared the winner the following day after capturing roughly 80% of the vote in Dearborn.