
Security increased in Dearborn, MI, after WSJ op-ed names it US ‘Jihad capital’
By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter), Zachary Hill (Video Editor)
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Dearborn, Michigan, is home of the largest Muslim population per capita in the United States. The city was deemed as “America’s Jihad Capital” in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece and controversy has quickly followed. President Joe Biden condemned the article and Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud called it bigoted and Islamophobic, upping the community’s security presence.

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The author, Steven Stalinsky, stood by his article following the criticism, citing national security concerns.
The piece highlights protests in Dearborn where it claims the Muslim-majority population largely supports Hamas and Iran, putting those residents on the opposite side of official U.S. policy in the Middle East conflict.
Some residents of the Michigan city mourn over what America and Israel celebrate. Local mosques in Dearborn hold memorial services for terrorist leaders killed in Gaza. Meanwhile, what America calls the Oct. 7 terror attack, some Imams in Dearborn celebrate it as part of a holy war.
“Open support for Hamas is spreading,” Stalinsky wrote. “Since Oct. 7, similar protests have occurred in major American cities featuring pro-Jihadist imagery, chants and slogans. What’s happening in Dearborn isn’t simply a political problem for Democrats. It’s potentially a national-security issue affecting all Americans. Counterterrorism agencies at all levels should pay close attention.”
Stalinsky is being accused of spreading Islamophobic hate over his word choice. Dearborn Mayor Hammoud said he ramped up the city’s police presence at mosques over the weekend of Feb. 2 in response.
Effective immediately – Dearborn police will ramp up its presence across all places of worship and major infrastructure points.
— Abdullah H. Hammoud (@AHammoudMI) February 3, 2024
This is a direct result of the inflammatory @WSJ opinion piece that has led to an alarming increase in bigoted and Islamophobic rhetoric online…
President Biden also reacted on X.
Americans know that blaming a group of people based on the words of a small few is wrong.
— President Biden (@POTUS) February 4, 2024
That’s exactly what can lead to Islamophobia and anti-Arab hate, and it shouldn’t happen to the residents of Dearborn – or any American town.
We must continue to condemn hate in all forms.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Stalinsky said “nothing in my article was written to instigate any sort of hate. This is a moment for counterterrorism officials to be concerned.”
Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, there has been a rise in Islamophobic and antisemitic threats. Counterterrorism officials said they are on high alert and the threat of a terror attack on U.S. soil is “on a whole other level” since the conflict in the Middle East began.
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[KARAH RUCKER]
DEARBORN, MICHIGAN.
HOME OF THE LARGEST MUSLIM POPULATION PER CAPITA IN THE UNITED STATES.
IT WAS DEEMED AS “AMERICA’S JIHAD CAPITAL” IN A WALL STREET JOURNAL OPINION PIECE OVER THE WEEKEND.
AND CONTROVERSY – WOULD FOLLOW.
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN WOULD CONDEMN THE ARTICLE.
THE CITY’S MAYOR CALLING IT BIGOTED. AND ISLAMOPHOBIC RHETORIC, UPPING THE COMMUNITY’S SECURITY PRESENCE
THE AUTHOR – STANDING BY HIS ARTICLE FOLLOWING THE CRITICISM, CITING NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS.
THE PIECE HIGHLIGHTS PROTESTS IN DEARBORN MICHIGAN WHERE THE MUSLIM-MAJORITY POPULATION THERE LARGELY SUPPORTS **HAMAS AND IRAN.
WHICH PUTS THEM ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF OFFICIAL U.S. POLICY IN THE MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT.
THE MICHIGAN CITY MOURNS OVER WHAT AMERICA AND ISRAEL CELEBRATE.
LOCAL MOSQUES IN DEARBORN HOLD MEMORIAL SERVICES FOR TERRORIST LEADERS KILLED IN GAZA.
WHAT AMERICA CALLS “THE OCTOBER 7TH TERROR ATTACK” –
SOME IMAMS IN DEARBORN CELEBRATE AS PART OF A HOLY WAR.
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL OP-ED SAYS –
“Open support for Hamas is spreading. Since Oct. 7, similar protests have occurred in major American cities featuring pro-jihadist imagery, chants and slogans.
What’s happening in Dearborn isn’t simply a political problem for Democrats. It’s potentially a national-security issue affecting all Americans. Counterterrorism agencies at all levels should pay close attention.”
[KARAH RUCKER]
BUT STEVEN STALINSKY – THE AUTHOR – IS BEING ACCUSED OF SPREADING ISLAMOPHOBIC HATE OVER HIS WORD CHOICE.
THE MAYOR OF DEARBORN RAMPED UP ITS POLICE PRESENCE AT MOSQUES OVER THE WEEKEND IN RESPONSE.
ABDULLAH HAMMOUD SAID THE INCREASED SECURITY WAS A “direct result of the inflammatory @WSJ opinion piece that has led to an alarming increase in bigoted and Islamophobic rhetoric online targeting the city of Dearborn.”
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN ALSO REACTED.
POSTING ON X: Americans know that blaming a group of people based on the words of a small few is wrong.
That’s exactly what can lead to Islamophobia and anti-Arab hate, and it shouldn’t happen to the residents of Dearborn – or any American town.
STALINSKY – TAKING HEAT – STANDS BY HIS ARTICLE.
SAYING IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE ASSOCIATED PRESS –
“Nothing in my article was written to instigate any sort of hate. This is a moment for counterterrorism officials to be concerned.”
SINCE THE START OF THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR –
THERE HAS BEEN A RISE IN ISLAMOPHOBIC AND ANTI-SEMITIC THREATS.
COUNTERTERRORISM OFFICIALS SAY THEY **ARE ON HIGH ALERT AND THE THREAT OF A TERROR ATTACK ON U.S. SOIL IS “ON A WHOLE OTHER LEVEL” SINCE THE CONFLICT IN THE MIDDLE EAST BEGAN.
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