DEARBORN, Mich. (WXYZ) — A Dearborn Public Schools board trustee who was arrested by Israeli police in Nazareth has been released and is sharing his experience.
Amer Zahr, a Palestinian-American comedian and elected school board member, says he was detained for about an hour and a half on Friday after his comedy show in Nazareth.
See the full report and hear from Amer Zahr in the video below
"I was taken into custody, I was arrested. I was asked to denounce any incitement, which of course, I'm not inciting anyone to anything," Zahr said.
Despite being late to his next comedy show due to the arrest, Zahr said audience members waited for him to arrive.
"The real story is about how the Palestinian people stayed steadfast and wanted to hear art from a Palestinian-American," Zahr said.
As news of the arrest spread, the Dearborn community rallied around Zahr from thousands of miles away.
Osama Siblani, founder of The Arab American News, was among those keeping the community updated about Zahr's situation.
"He's a member of the board of education in Dearborn and he is an elected official and also he is very active in our community," Siblani said.
Siblani said the community's concern extends beyond individual cases.
"We're very concerned about what's happening in that part of the world that we came from and we have families still there," Siblani said.
The interim superintendent for Dearborn Public Schools, Lamis Srour, released a statement regarding Zahr's release: "We are happy to hear that Trustee Zahr has been released. He is a valued member of our school community and beyond."
Zahr expressed gratitude for the community support he received during his detention.
"I'm not surprised at all that our community came together very quickly. This is what we do for each other. And I'm just so lucky that I'm part of that community and I feel blessed to be part of the Dearborn Arab-American community," Zahr said.
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