World

The 2012 Arab International Festival has drawn thousands of visitors to the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, as well as attracting some anti-Muslim protesters.

The festival opened Friday and ends Sunday in Dearborn, a community with large Arab-American and Muslim populations. About 300,000 people in southeastern Michigan have roots in the Arab world.

The festival includes concerts by more than a dozen Arab musicians and a range of Middle Eastern foods and products.

A number of Christian missionaries have picketed the festival. One brought a pig's head Friday.

One group called the Bible Believers held signs saying "Islam is a religion of blood and murder" and "Muhammad is a ... liar."

The Detroit Free Press says horse-mounted Wayne County sheriff's deputies kept young Arab Americans away from the protesters.