Last week, the Dearborn Heights Police Department in Michigan found itself at the center of a national debate after unveiling a new, optional police uniform patch featuring both English and Arabic script. The initiative, which was designed by Officer Emily Murdoch, was announced on September 3, 2025, through a Facebook post and immediately drew both praise and criticism from across the country. This was the first time in U.S. history that a police department proposed a patch with Arabic text, intended as a gesture of inclusivity toward the city’s sizable Arab-American population.
Dearborn Heights, located just outside Detroit, is home to one of the largest Arab-American communities in the United States, with the most recent census showing around 39 percent of the city’s residents are of Middle Eastern or North African descent. The neighboring city of Dearborn became the first Arab-majority city in the country in 2023, and the area is known for its vibrant cultural institutions, including the Arab American National Museum and the largest mosque in North America, according to Newsweek. The police department’s announcement stated, “This patch was created by Officer Emily Murdoch, who designed it to reflect and honor the diversity of our community — especially the many residents of Arabic descent who call Dearborn Heights home.”
The patch itself is straightforward: it displays the words “DEARBORN HEIGHTS” and “POLICE” in both English and Arabic. The department emphasized that wearing the patch would be entirely voluntary for officers. “By incorporating Arabic script alongside English, this patch represents unity, respect, and our shared commitment to service. We are proud of Officer Murdoch’s creativity and dedication in helping our department better represent the people we serve,” the department explained in its social media post, as reported by Beliefnet.
Despite these intentions, the announcement quickly became a lightning rod for controversy. Online backlash erupted almost immediately, with critics arguing that the patch risked signaling ethnic preference and undermining the principle of equal treatment for all. Some saw it as a sign of cultural fragmentation rather than unity. One Iraqi-American Muslim commentator, writing in The Free Press, warned, “Symbols are never ‘just symbols.’ They carry meaning. And the meaning here is troubling: that America’s civic institutions, instead of standing above ethnic and religious division, should bend themselves to it.” The commentator drew on personal experience, noting the dangers of identity politics and ethnic exceptionalism, and expressed concern that such gestures could plant seeds of division, suspicion, and resentment.
Some critics, including Republican Rep. Randy Fine of Florida, took to social media to express alarm. Fine posted on X (formerly Twitter), “They said their goal was to bring Sharia law to America. You should’ve believed them. Pray for Michigan.” His comments reflected a broader national anxiety about the intersection of cultural representation, religious freedom, and the presence of Islamic communities in the U.S. Other critics, such as media personality Brigitte Gabriel, warned, “This is how it starts. Dearborn Heights Police Dept. now has the nation’s first-ever uniform patch in Arabic. The civilization takeover has begun.”
Yet, the response was far from universally negative. Supporters of the patch argued that recognizing linguistic and cultural diversity is an important step toward unity and mutual respect. “There is absolutely nothing related to Islam in this uniform patch. It says, in Arabic, ‘Dearborn Heights. Police.’ Dearborn Heights has been home to a Christian and Muslim Arab community for over a century,” historian Narjes Rahmati wrote on X. Another social media user, @BigBlueWaveUSA, praised the move, saying, “In a country full of Republicans setting a tone of hatred toward EVERYONE who is non-Christian, we need this! Dearborn Heights has a very high percentage of Arab American residents and law enforcement officers — so this is not just appropriate, it’s wonderful.”
The backlash, however, prompted swift action from city officials. Within two days of the announcement, on September 5, 2025, Mayor Bill Bazzi — himself an Arab American who endorsed Donald Trump in the 2024 election — and the police department walked back the badge proposal. In a press release shared with Newsweek, Bazzi clarified, “On Wednesday, September 3rd, information was disseminated from the Dearborn Heights Police Department regarding a digital mock-up of the DHPD patch bearing the department name translated in Arabic script. The design mock-up idea showed the words ‘Dearborn Heights Police’ in Arabic and was said to be optional. The patch effort was an internal discussion among some within the police department, which was not put forth for consensus or further review.”
Bazzi further emphasized the need for broader input before making any changes to official police uniforms. “Should efforts like this be formally undertaken to make any changes to the Police uniform, it is our goal to include multiple PD stakeholders for a larger conversation, to ensure all are included in the discussion. As we are one PD, each individual’s uniform represents the DHPD as a whole, and therefore merits the review and input of all,” he stated, according to the Daily Mail. The police department added, “At this time, this patch addition remains an idea and should NOT have been presented as an official prototype.”
The episode highlights a broader national debate over multiculturalism, integration, and the role of cultural symbols in public institutions. Some argue that America’s strength lies in its tradition of integration and shared civic culture, warning that symbolic gestures like the Arabic patch risk encouraging balkanization. Others see such gestures as overdue recognition of communities that have long been part of the American fabric. The online discourse ranged from accusations of “civilization takeover” to celebrations of diversity and inclusion, illustrating the deep divides that persist in American society over questions of identity and belonging.
Dearborn Heights’ experience is emblematic of the challenges facing cities with rapidly changing demographics. As the first Arab-majority city in the U.S., Dearborn and its neighboring communities have become symbols of both the promise and the complexity of American pluralism. The controversy over the police patch underscores the delicate balance between honoring diversity and maintaining a sense of shared national identity — a debate that is likely to continue as communities across the country grapple with similar questions.
For now, the Arabic patch remains just an idea, a symbol of both hope and controversy, and a reminder of the difficult conversations that come with living in a diverse democracy.
