GOP Candidate Walks Back Islamophobic Rhetoric After Visiting Dearborn Mosques
Republican gubernatorial candidate Anthony Hudson has walked back his claims that Dearborn, Michigan was under threat from "Muslim infiltration" and "Sharia law," just days after scheduling a controversial rally in the city. The about-face came after Hudson spent 72 hours meeting with residents, touring local businesses, and visiting three mosques, where he claimed to have been received with "a lot of hospitality."
In a recent video posted from one of the mosques, Hudson apologized for his earlier rhetoric, stating that "Sharia law does not exist in Dearborn, Michigan, nor do I believe it exists anywhere in the United States." He also acknowledged that all the propaganda about Dearborn was a "complete fabrication of the truth," and expressed regret for spreading misinformation.
Hudson's change of heart came after he spent time in Dearborn and discovered that the city was not the dystopian nightmare he had portrayed it to be. He had initially urged his supporters to join him for an "American Crusade" march, which is still planned for Tuesday, despite only 42 people marking themselves as attending on Facebook.
The apology is a significant turnaround for Hudson, who had spent the week peddling anti-Muslim rhetoric and drawing widespread criticism from civil rights advocates. Dearborn has faced repeated waves of Islamophobic misinformation in recent years, making it an especially sensitive issue.
However, Hudson's apology was somewhat undermined by his behavior towards this reporter, who identifies as a lesbian and was subjected to homophobic slurs. The incident raises questions about Hudson's commitment to civility and respect for differing perspectives.
Despite the controversy surrounding the rally, Hudson remains committed to attending, stating that he hopes "twice as many people show up." It remains to be seen how this event will play out, but one thing is clear: Hudson's words have been tempered by experience.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Anthony Hudson has walked back his claims that Dearborn, Michigan was under threat from "Muslim infiltration" and "Sharia law," just days after scheduling a controversial rally in the city. The about-face came after Hudson spent 72 hours meeting with residents, touring local businesses, and visiting three mosques, where he claimed to have been received with "a lot of hospitality."
In a recent video posted from one of the mosques, Hudson apologized for his earlier rhetoric, stating that "Sharia law does not exist in Dearborn, Michigan, nor do I believe it exists anywhere in the United States." He also acknowledged that all the propaganda about Dearborn was a "complete fabrication of the truth," and expressed regret for spreading misinformation.
Hudson's change of heart came after he spent time in Dearborn and discovered that the city was not the dystopian nightmare he had portrayed it to be. He had initially urged his supporters to join him for an "American Crusade" march, which is still planned for Tuesday, despite only 42 people marking themselves as attending on Facebook.
The apology is a significant turnaround for Hudson, who had spent the week peddling anti-Muslim rhetoric and drawing widespread criticism from civil rights advocates. Dearborn has faced repeated waves of Islamophobic misinformation in recent years, making it an especially sensitive issue.
However, Hudson's apology was somewhat undermined by his behavior towards this reporter, who identifies as a lesbian and was subjected to homophobic slurs. The incident raises questions about Hudson's commitment to civility and respect for differing perspectives.
Despite the controversy surrounding the rally, Hudson remains committed to attending, stating that he hopes "twice as many people show up." It remains to be seen how this event will play out, but one thing is clear: Hudson's words have been tempered by experience.
and I'm like... wow that's amazing! You know what's even more amazing? The way those paws are moving in sync with the music. It's like they're trying to tell us something, you know? Like, how we should all just get along and not be so judgmental 
. But anyway, back to Hudson... I don't think an apology is enough, you know? I mean, he had a chance to meet people from the community and listen to their stories, but instead he's still trying to spin this narrative that Dearborn is some kind of dystopian nightmare 
. What do you guys think? Should we just give him another chance or...
but tbh i'm still shook about the way he talked to me when i asked him about his stance on lgbtq rights...he kinda got salty & used some pretty bad language 
anywayz his visit 2 dearborn seems 2 have been a real eye opener for him and i hope it sticks 
can't wait 2 c how the rally goes but like, let's keep an eye on him 
he was all like "Muslim infiltration" and Sharia law just days ago... now he's suddenly an expert on Dearborn? 72 hours can't fix a whole week of spreading hate I don't believe his apology is genuine, it sounds like he just wanted to save face after getting called out. And yeah, the homophobic incident with me 
was super weird, I mean I get that people can be ignorant, but come on? And now he's talking about how he wants "twice as many people" show up... does he really think he can just spin this and make it all better? 
? More like he just realized all that hate speech was a hot mess 
.
what's good with him? Can't fix one issue if you can't even own up to it 
. It just a normal city like any other. Good for Hudson to learn that 
. I mean, 72 hours of "meeting with residents" and "visiting mosques" sounds like a pretty shallow attempt to gain credibility 
. And what's up with the timing? Trying to backtrack on those claims right before a rally that's already got some people feeling uneasy 
.
. That takes some guts, even if it is a bit too little, too late 
. And hey, maybe spending time in Dearborn really did change his mind...or maybe he just realized he needed to tone down his rhetoric to avoid getting hurt 
. Either way, I hope he sticks to it and doesn't go back to his old ways 
.
. On the one hand, it's great that he took the time to listen to people in Dearborn and acknowledged that his rhetoric was way off base 
. It takes guts (no pun intended) to admit when you've been wrong and try to make amends.
. I mean, he's only walking back on some pretty extreme language after spending 72 hours in Dearborn... how much exposure does that really take? 
.
. Hudson still has a lot of work to do to earn back the trust of folks in Dearborn (and everywhere else) 
.