On March 19, 2025, a disturbing event took place at the Newora Café in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. Marketed as a “fundraiser and poetry night,” the gathering was organized in partnership with the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) and aimed at raising money for the Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA). However, the event’s rhetoric strayed far from charity or art—instead veering into openly militant anti-Americanism.
In a video posted to YouTube by HB Productions, an attendee delivered a chilling message to the audience and to viewers online:
“The American empire… the imperial Western powers… must fall. And inshallah, they will fall. There are people here… willing to fight and put their lives on the line to bring these empires down. Because they must come down.”
These are not abstract metaphors. They are calls to action—violent action—against the very society that provides the freedoms these individuals exploit to spread such messages. The speaker lamented that Americans feel “ashamed” for not doing enough to oppose their own country, and that the real victory lies not in defending peace or life, but in undermining the West itself.
Let’s be clear: this rhetoric is dangerous. It mirrors classic revolutionary propaganda, just dressed in the modern language of “liberation” and “resistance.” It is also fundamentally antisemitic in nature, given that such narratives often frame the Jewish state of Israel—and those who support it—as the ultimate symbol of Western imperialism.
The Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), which helped organize the event, has a documented history of radical activism, and often lionizes violent resistance. Their partnership with MECA—a group known for its one-sided condemnation of Israel—only underscores the intent behind this “poetry night”: to inflame hatred, glorify martyrdom, and spread the belief that Western civilization is inherently evil and must be dismantled.
What’s most troubling is that this type of rhetoric is gaining ground in American cities. Dearborn Heights is not Gaza. But for some of the organizers and attendees, it might as well be. They speak of Gaza as having “achieved victory” and call on Americans to join in the downfall of their own democratic institutions.
As Christians and Jews united in support of Israel and of Western democratic values, we must not ignore these developments. Peace cannot be achieved through glorifying violence. Justice is not advanced by advocating for the destruction of nations. And liberation is not real when it relies on silencing or destroying others.
CJUI stands firmly against all forms of political extremism—whether religious, ethnic, or ideological—that promote hate and division under the guise of activism.
We urge our fellow Americans to remain vigilant, to speak out against incitement, and to remember that true justice is built on truth, mutual respect, and peace—not on the ashes of empires.