Singer’s visit agitates a community

Charlie Daniels, who had a post-Sept. 11 country hit with “This Ain’t No Rag, It’s a Flag,” is drawing heat from Arab Americans who say it refers to a derogatory term used against them. Daniels, 67, is scheduled to perform at a city-sponsored festival today in Dearborn, the center of southeastern Michigan’s 300,000-member Arab American community. The offending lyric: “This ain’t no rag, it’s a flag, and we don’t wear it on our heads. / It’s a symbol of the land where the good guys live. Are you listening to what I said?”

“Rag-heads” is a slur used against Arabs, Muslims and others who wear turbans or cover their heads.

“Someone who is trying to get popular through bigotry, bias and hatred should not be welcome, especially in a city like Dearborn with its rich diversity,” said Imad Hamad, regional director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. Says Daniels: “It’s not anti-Arab or anti-anything. The only thing it’s ‘anti’ is the people who bombed us on 9/11.”

A city spokeswoman said no formal complaints had been received and the show would go on.