City wary over planned book burning protest

By Charles Sercombe
Hamtramck is bracing for a possible visit by an anti-Islamic group promoting a book burning this Sunday in front of a Jos. Campau mosque.
And Hamtramck police are preparing for, and coordinating with other police agencies on, any potential conflict.
“We are coordinating all efforts with the Detroit Police Department and Wayne County Sheriffs to see if this is a credible threat…,” said Hamtramck Police Chief Hussein Farhat.
Farhat said no burning of books will be allowed on public property. The “book” in question would almost certainly be the Koran, a sacred text for millions of Muslims.
Hamtramck is a Muslim-majority town.
At this point, it’s not clear whether this is a mere publicity stunt, or something that will actually take place.
On the Facebook page of the Americans Against Islamification (which has been described by critics as a Christian nationalist network and as being Nazi-like), the apparent leader of the organization, Jayden Scott, of Michigan, said:
“Crusaders will march through downtown Hamtramck, Michigan – the Islamic occupied city, and we will declare America is a Christian nation.”
Scott continued in his Facebook post, saying: “We are at a cultural war – a spiritual war. It’s time we reclaim our society, and we reclaim America.”
So far, there has been little reaction from the public, and little comment on social media, although that could change in the coming days.
Mayor Adam Alharbi said the community is preparing in case the protest does take place.
“We’re working with the police to make sure, if it does happen, everyone is safe,” he said.
He declined further comment, saying he did not want to give the group publicity.
But former mayor Karen Majewski spoke out against the group.
“The organizer is a well-known provocateur who is targeting Hamtramck after failures in other communities,” Majewski said.
“Our city officials and police department are aware, and equipped to deal with the situation. And Hamtramck residents will have no tolerance for Nazis trying to use our community as a platform and photo op for their anti-American hate.”
An organization called Hope in Action plans a counter-protest.
Scott has a checkered past, once falsely claiming to be the CEO of Harmony Investment Group in Troy. The company has vehemently denied any connection with Scott or to his prior employment.
In the past, he taunted Minneapolis protestors — in the wake of the shooting death, by an ICE agent, of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three –yelling: “We executed one of you.”
This isn’t the first time the metro area has experienced an outside group threatening to burn copies of the Koran. Last November, in Dearborn (another majority Muslim city), Jake Lang, of Florida, attempted to hold a book burning but was repelled by protestors.
The skirmish didn’t amount to much although, recently Lang was sentenced to five years in prison for damaging an ice sculpture in front of the Minnesota State Capitol which said: “Prosecute ICE.”
He had kicked over part of the word “prosecute” so it read “Pro ICE.”
Posted May 8, 2026