Dearborn Fire Department offers Ramadan T-shirts for first time as sacred month starts

Yahoo

28-02-2025

For decades, firefighters in Dearborn have worn and sold T-shirts specially made for holidays such as Christmas and St. Patrick's Day. The shirts have been a way to engage with the general public, raise money for charity and promote camaraderie in one of the oldest fire departments in metro Detroit.
Now, the department is selling Ramadan shirts for the first time as the city's Muslim population grows, offering a way for people in America's only Arab-majority city to support their firefighters and a Dearborn nonprofit. It's the first time the Dearborn Fire Department will have T-shirts related to the Islamic faith and may be the first department in the country to do so. The sacred month of Ramadan starts Friday night. It's a time when observant Muslims abstain from food and water during daylight hours and often increase their prayers. Mosques in metro Detroit are packed with special services during the 30 days, a time to reflect on faith.
Dearborn Fire Chief Joseph Murray said the selling of the T-shirts is keeping in line with the Islamic tradition of charity during Ramadan. Proceeds of the shirts will go toward the Amity Foundation, a Dearborn nonprofit that has worked with the city and others in various charity efforts.
"The holy month of Ramadan is a time for spiritual rejuvenation, self-control and compassion for followers of the Islamic faith, which includes many of our citizens as well as a number of our firefighters," Murray told the Free Press. Explaining the idea of Islamic voluntary charity known as sadaqah, he added: "The holy month of Ramadan commemorates the revelation of the Quran and is a time typically associated with giving 'sadaqah,' or giving to people in need. As part of our Ramadan T-shirt program, all proceeds will be donated to charity."
Murray, who is Catholic, said that Dearborn is a place where different cultures can learn and interact with one another. About 55% of Dearborn's residents are of Arab descent, most of them believed to be Muslim, but there are also sizable numbers of Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox Christians and other faith groups in the city.
"We often find we all have much more in common than we have differences," Murray said. "Dearborn is a special place. We are so diverse, yet we are all one community. We welcome each other and celebrate each other's cultures rather than closing off to one another. While I am a Roman Catholic, I greatly enjoy the many invites I receive to attend iftar dinners with our Muslim neighbors and friends throughout the month of Ramadan. It's not like this everywhere. There are many cities where various cultural groups stay somewhat separated. Not here."
The front of the shirts read "Ramadan Kareem," a phrase often used as a greeting that means: "Have a blessed or generous Ramadan." On the shirt, that phrase and a crescent, a symbol of Islam, encircles the official seal of the fire department; the seal notes the department was established in 1908 and contains the city of Dearborn's seal, depicting Henry Ford standing next to a car, reading: "Home Town of Henry Ford." On the back of the shirt, it reads in Arabic: "Dearborn Fire Department, service to others since 1908," a phrase that is written in English on regular T-shirts firefighters sometimes wear.
The shirts are available until March 14 in short sleeves, long sleeves and a kids version, all costing $22, with sweatshirts at $30 and hooded sweatshirts at $35. To purchase them, visit the website of Bad Axe, a company in Commerce Township owned and operated by firefighters that often makes shirts for fire departments.
"How we came up with the T-shirts is, we wanted to come up with something simple that resembled the design of what we wear on duty," Wael Gharbie, an engineer in the fire department, explained in a video announcing the T-shirts.
The T-shirts are one way that cities across metro Detroit are engaging with Muslim communities. In Hamtramck, Police Chief Jamiel Altaheri announced last week that police will offer Islamic prayer rugs and the Quran for inmates in jail if they request it. The department also marked this month World Hijab Day, noting that two of their officers wear hijab, the Islamic headscarf worn by Muslim women.
Dearborn City Council approved last week for a food hall, The Canteen at Midtown, to have a "Ramadan Village" event organized by Hassan Chami on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. during Ramadan. They were approved to set up a fence and have two heated tents where people can gather, socialize and purchase food from vendors. Chami used to run, at another location, the Ramadan Suhoor festival, which drew thousands to Dearborn late at night, but he canceled it last year because of the war in Gaza out of respect for the victims.
The fire department's sale of T-shirts is another way Dearborn has created a historic first since Mayor Abdullah Hammoud took office in 2022. In 2023, Dearborn became the first city in the U.S. to make Eid, which marks the end of Ramadan, a holiday for employees, shutting down City Hall and libraries.
The city has also kept its Christmas traditions and enhanced them, such as the lighting of a Christmas tree. In November 2022, Hammoud brought in a new 30-foot White fir Christmas tree that was much larger than trees under the previous mayor. Some residents had complained in 2018 about a new LED lights tree that was small.
Murray said the T-shirts are in line with Dearborn's history.
"The Dearborn Fire Department has had a long history of allowing firefighters to wear T-shirts on duty to celebrate holidays or to provide support to charitable causes," Murray explained. "In the past we have supported causes such as breast cancer, autism, firefighter cancer prevention and research. We have also allowed firefighters to wear T-shirts for various holidays such as St. Patrick's Day and Christmas. T-shirts are typically sponsored by our 501c3 The Dearborn Firefighters Burn Drive, which then donates proceeds to the various charities."
When is Ramadan in 2025? Here's what to know about the Muslim holy month
The department, which has 128 firefighters and also handles the city of Melvindale, often has educational events for youth and residents about fire codes, prevention and response.
"We consistently reach out to all of the diverse groups which make up our community and provide support where and when they need us," Murray said. "Our members love and appreciate the diversity of our community and we believe it is a significant component of what makes Dearborn such a special city. As a fire department, we are proud to have firefighters from many diverse communities and we enjoy learning about each other's cultures."
Contact Niraj Warikoo: [e-mail]
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dearborn Fire Department sells Ramadan T-shirts for the Muslim month