America’s Jihad Capital: The Controversy Surrounding Dearborn, Michigan | World News – Times of India

Dearborn, a Michigan suburb with high Muslim population, has found itself at the center of a heated national debate after an opinion piece described as “America’s jihad capital“. Following the publication of a Wall Street Journal opinion article headlined “Welcome to Dearborn, America’s Jihad Capital,” Mayor Abdullah Hammoud of Dearborn announced on Friday via Twitter that the city’s police have intensified patrols at key religious sites and vital infrastructure locations, attributing this action as a “direct result” of the article.
Driving the news

Dearborn has one of the highest percentages of Arab-Americans among US cities, with census figures showing it is about 54% Arab American.
Dearborn, Michigan boasts the largest Muslim population per capita in the United States and also houses the largest mosque in North America.
The contentious opinion article in the Wall Street Journal labeled Dearborn, Michigan, as “America’s Jihad capital,” accusing the city of harboring strong support for Palestinian and Islamist militant factions, notably Hamas.
The article, written by Steven Stalinsky of the Middle East Media Research Institute, also suggested that southern Michigan’s support for terrorism has long been a concern for US authorities.
As per the WSJ opinion piece, US counterterrorism officials have long been worried about the support for terrorism in southern Michigan, especially in Dearborn, where most of the 28 terror groups identified by the State Department have a presence.
A 2001 Michigan State Police report to the Justice Department after 9/11 described Dearborn as a “major financial support center” and a “recruiting area and potential support base” for international terror groups, possibly including sleeper cells, Stalinsky wrote.
Several current or former Dearborn residents have been convicted of terror-related crimes in recent years, indicating the persistence of the problem, the author claimed.
Ahmad Musa Jibril, a Dearborn-based jihadi sheikh with a large online following, openly advocates for holy war and praises Hamas for killing and kidnapping Israelis. He also urges Muslims in the West to normalize the term “jihad” and insults President Biden as a “senile pharaoh.”

Palestinian Americans walk past American Moslem Society mosque in Dearborn.

Why it matters

The article sparked a surge in hostile and Islamophobic online rhetoric aimed at Dearborn, a city known for its substantial Arab American population.
The repercussions of the WSJ article are not confined to the realm of public discourse. They have tangible implications for the safety and well-being of Dearborn’s residents.
Mayor Abdullah H Hammoud announced an immediate increase in police surveillance at all key religious sites and crucial infrastructure locations in response to the article, expressing concern over the safety of the community.
Mayor Hammoud’s critique of the article as Islamophobic, Anti-Arab, and overtly racist, coupled with the bolstered police presence in the city, highlights the serious concerns regarding community safety and the potential for hate-induced unrest.

Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud said he had ramped up the city’s police presence at houses of worship and other public places.

What they are saying

Hammoud, who addressed the situation on X (formerly Twitter), condemned the article as Islamophobic, anti-Arab, and overtly racist in a statement to CNN, and criticized the publication for irresponsible journalism that endangers the community.
Dawud Walid, the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations Michigan chapter, criticized those who, by employing defamatory tactics, aim to obscure the harsh realities of the far-right Israeli government’s actions against Palestinians.
Stalinsky, when questioned about Hammoud’s critique, challenged the mayor to specify inaccuracies in his piece, essentially reaffirming his original assertions in the WSJ.
Local and national figures, including Wayne County Commissioner David Knezek and President Joe Biden, have voiced their disapproval of the WSJ’s portrayal of Dearborn.
Biden, while not referring directly to the WSJ or the article’s author, said on social media platform X it was wrong to blame “a group of people based on the words of a small few.”
“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,” Biden said on the platform formerly called Twitter.
Some Democratic members of the US Congress like Representatives Pramila Jayapal and Ro Khanna, and 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, and the polarized views and narratives that surround them.
The article also exposes the vulnerability and discrimination that the Muslim and Arab American communities face in the US, especially in the wake of Israel-Hamas war.
Rights advocates have noted a rise in Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian bias and antisemitism in the US since the eruption of war in the Middle East in October.
Among anti-Palestinian incidents that raised alarm were a November shooting in Vermont of three students of Palestinian descent and the fatal stabbing of a 6-year-old Palestinian American in Illinois in October.
The article challenges 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 embracing one’s identity in the pursuit of success.

(With inputs from agencies)

Source