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Dearborn, a Michigan suburb with a large Muslim population, found itself at the center of a heated national debate after an opinion article described as “The American capital of jihad“. Following the publication of a Wall Street Journal opinion article entitled “Welcome to Dearborn, AmericaIt is Jihad Capital,” Mayor Abdullah Hammoud of Dearborn announced Friday via Twitter that the city’s police had increased patrols of major religious sites and vital infrastructure, attributing the action as a “direct result” of the article.
Driving the news
Driving the news
Dear born has one of the highest percentages of Arab-Americans among U.S. cities, with census figures showing it to be about 54% Arab-American.- Dearborn, Michigan has the largest Muslim population per capita in the United States and is also home to the largest mosque in North America.
- The controversial Wall Street Journal opinion piece called Dearborn, Michigan, the “Jihad Capital of America,” accusing the city of harboring strong support for Palestinian and Islamist militant factions, including Hamas.
- The article, written by
Steven Stalinski of the Middle East Media Research Institute, also suggested that southern Michigan’s support for terrorism has long been a concern for U.S. authorities. - According to the WSJ opinion piece, U.S. counterterrorism officials have long been concerned about support for terrorism in southern Michigan, particularly in Dearborn, where most of the 28 terrorist groups identified by the Department of state are present.
- A 2001 Michigan State Police report to the Department of Justice after 9/11 described Dearborn as a “major financial support center” and a “recruitment area and potential support base” for terrorist groups international groups, perhaps including sleeper cells, Stalinsky wrote.
- Several current or former Dearborn residents have been convicted of terrorism-related crimes in recent years, indicating the persistence of the problem, the author said.
- Ahmad Musa Jibril, a Dearborn-based jihadist sheikh with a large online following, openly advocates for holy war and praises Hamas for killing and kidnapping Israelis. He also urges Western Muslims to normalize the term “jihad” and insults President Biden as a “senile pharaoh.”
Palestinian Americans walk past the American Muslim Society mosque in Dearborn.
Why is this important
- The article sparked a wave of hostile and Islamophobic online discourse targeting Dearborn, a city known for its large Arab-American population.
- The repercussions of the WSJ article are not limited to the realm of public discourse. They have tangible implications for the safety and well-being of Dearborn residents.
- Mayor Abdullah H Hammoud announced an immediate increase in police surveillance at all major religious sites and critical infrastructure in response to the article, expressing concern over the safety of the community.
- Mayor Hammoud’s criticism of the article as Islamophobic, anti-Arab and openly racist, coupled with the increased police presence in the city, highlights serious concerns about community safety and the potential for hate-induced disorders.
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud said he has increased the city’s police presence at houses of worship and other public places.
What they say
- Hammoud, who addressed the situation on
- Dawud Walid, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations Michigan, criticized those who, by employing smear tactics, aim to obscure the harsh realities of the Israeli far-right government’s actions against the Palestinians.
- Stalinsky, when asked about Hammoud’s criticism, challenged the mayor to clarify the inaccuracies in his article, essentially reaffirming his original claims in the WSJ.
- Local and national figures, including Wayne County Commissioner David Knezek and President Joe Biden, have expressed disapproval of the WSJ’s portrayal of Dearborn.
- Biden, without directly referencing the WSJ or the article’s author, said on social media platform .
- “This is exactly what can lead to
Islamophobia and anti-Arab hatred, and that should not happen to the people of Dearborn — or any American city,” Biden said on the platform formerly called Twitter. - Some Democratic members of the US Congress, such as Representatives Pramila Jayapal and Ro Khanna, as well as Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow, also condemned the WSJ opinion piece, with Jayapal demanding an apology from the newspaper.
Between the lines
- The article reflects the ongoing tensions and conflicts between Israel and Palestine, as well as the polarized views and narratives surrounding them.
- The article also exposes the vulnerability and discrimination faced by Muslim and Arab American communities in the United States, particularly in the wake of the war between Israel and Hamas.
- Human rights advocates have noted a rise in Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian prejudice and anti-Semitism in the United States since the outbreak of war in the Middle East in October.
- Anti-Palestinian incidents that have sparked concern include the November shooting in Vermont of three students of Palestinian descent and the fatal shooting of a 6-year-old Palestinian-American in Illinois in October.
- The article calls into question the image and identity of Dearborn, a city that marked a milestone in 2021 with the election of Hammoud, the son of Lebanese immigrants, as the city’s first Arab-American mayor. Hammoud described his election as a testament to the community’s preference for leadership over religious orientation, emphasizing the importance of accepting one’s identity in the pursuit of success.
(With contribution from agencies)
Watch Welcome to Dearborn, America’s Jihad Capital: Michigan City Bolsters Security After WSJ Opinion
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