Christians, Muslims team up against sexually explicit materials in Michigan school libraries

LGBT book proponents "call us religious extremists," but they "have to have some mental derangement ... to support this kind of stuff," one Muslim resident said.

Christian, Muslim book protesters, Dearborn, Mich., Sept. 25, 2022

By Madeleine Hubbard

Muslims and Christians are coming together in Dearborn, Michigan, to protest LGBT books in the city's public school libraries.

Hundreds of residents having come to a school board meeting Monday to protest the books became so contentious that officials suspended the meeting until Thursday – after weeks of religious leaders telling them to take action.

Attendees were largely upset over having each of their public comments limited to three minutes, resulting in loud boos.

"We can't have Bibles. We can't have Qurans. But we can have smut," Stephanie Butler, a Christian helping lead the effort against LGBT books, said at the meeting. "God is here to protect us. I can say now my heart is full seeing the community come together in the name of protecting our children."

Imam Sayed Hassan Al-Qazwini, one of Michigan's top Muslim leaders, said during his sermon Friday. "Some of those books are completely inappropriate for our children to read. Some of those books promote pornography. Some of them promote homosexuality. We don’t need this."

Muslim Nagi Almudhegi said at a meeting over the weekend that LGBT book proponents "call us religious extremists," but they "have to have some mental derangement ... to support this kind of stuff," The Detroit Free Press reported.