Dearborn, Michigan, a city known for its high Muslim population, is on high alert following a contentious Wall Street Journal op-ed that labeled it as America's "jihad capital."
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The article, penned by Steven Stalinsky, the executive director of the Middle East Media Research Institute, underscored the city residents' widespread support for Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran.
Stalinsky's piece vividly depicted protesters in Dearborn chanting "Intifada, intifada," "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," and "America is a terrorist state." He also claimed that individuals were "celebrating" Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, which resulted in 1,200 fatalities and hundreds more injuries. These celebrations, Stalinsky pointed out, occurred before Israel's retaliatory ground offensive, which led to the deaths of thousands of Palestinian civilians.
In response to the op-ed, Dearborn's Mayor Abdullah Hammoud announced on Friday that city police had heightened security at places of worship and key infrastructure points. Hammoud, posting on the X platform, previously known as Twitter, stated that the published piece had triggered a disturbing surge in prejudiced and Islamophobic rhetoric online, specifically targeting Dearborn.
In a subsequent post, Hammoud criticized the Wall Street Journal, stating, "Its 2024 and the [Wall Street Journal] still pushes out this type of garbage," labeling it as "Reckless. Bigoted. Islamophobic." He further asserted that "Dearborn is one of the greatest American cities in our nation."
Stalinsky, in his defense, told The Associated Press that his article was not meant to "instigate any sort of hate," but rather to draw attention to protests in Michigan and across the U.S., where people have shown support for Hamas since the onset of the war with Israel. "This is a moment for counterterrorism officials to be concerned," he added.
The Health Ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory reported that since Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, over 27,000 Palestinians, primarily women and children, have been killed in Gaza. Fox News Digital has sought comments from Hammouds office and the Wall Street Journal.
President Joe Biden, in a tweet referencing Dearborn on Saturday, denounced "hate in all forms." He stated, "Americans know that blaming a group of people based on the words of a small few is wrong," adding that such behavior could foster Islamophobia and anti-Arab hate, which should not be tolerated in Dearborn or any other American town.
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