4/14/26 News Release

The People’s Coalition Statement on Division, Double Standards, and Hate Ahead of the Michigan Democratic Party Convention

We are witnessing, leading up to the Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) Convention, especially in the U-M Regent race, a coordinated and dangerous effort to divide our communities across identity lines.

From a dark money mailer deploying clear anti-Muslim and anti-Arab tropes, to an anonymous text weaponizing Israel to attack a candidate, these tactics are designed to manufacture division and turn this election into a false and harmful binary—pitting Jewish, and Arab and Muslim communities against one another. We reject this outright, and will not be fooled by this false narrative.

Equally disturbing is the blatant double standard in how these incidents are being addressed:

Just weeks ago, an opinion article was amplified within Party structures that trafficked in anti-Muslim, anti-Arab, and anti-Palestinian narratives—casting Muslim and Arab political participation as suspicious, extremist, and illegitimate. That moment was met by silence from the Party, and the Caucus at fault. No immediate condemnation. No urgency. No accountability. Just an internal request that the MDP Jewish Caucus remove the post with this racist article. Then silence.

Yet when an anonymous text surfaced, referencing Israel in a way that impacted a Jewish candidate, same day condemnation from the Party was swift, public, and decisive.

This inconsistency is unacceptable.

Let us be clear: anti-Muslim, anti-Arab, anti-Palestinian hate, and antisemitism are each just as real, harmful, and dangerous. When one type of hate is condemned immediately and others are repeatedly ignored, it sends a damaging message that some communities are valued more than others—that some are protected, while others are treated as second-tier and expected to endure harm in silence.

The double standards must be addressed and rectified.

We must name what is happening plainly: anti-Muslim, anti-Arab, and anti-Palestinian propaganda is being normalized and amplified in ways that endanger candidates and communities alike. This is not just rhetoric—it has real consequences for safety, belonging, representation, and our democracy itself.

We are calling for a full and independent investigation into each of these incidents—including the dark money mailer, the anonymous text, and the amplification of harmful rhetoric—with a publicly released report detailing the findings and any accountability measures taken.

In response to the aforementioned opinion article and amplification of the article by an MDP Caucus, a broad coalition of organizations across Michigan has come together to demand accountability from party leadership. These organizations have formally signed onto a letter calling for:

• A clear, public condemnation of this article and its harmful rhetoric from the MDP and its Chair

• A formal public apology for amplifying this content

• A commitment from Party leadership and caucuses to reject and actively challenge anti-Muslim, anti-Arab, and anti-Palestinian hate, racism, and misinformation

The following organizations have signed onto this letter:

This diverse and growing coalition reflects a clear and unified message: our communities will not accept division, selective outrage, or silence in the face of hate.

We call on Party leadership to act with consistency, courage, and integrity. That means unequivocally condemning all forms of hate—without delay, without qualification, and without political calculation.

Anything less is complicity.

This moment demands moral clarity.

We will not let this weaponized hate divide us, or silence us. And we will not accept this double standard—period.