Upon the publication of an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal branding Dearborn as the "jihad capital" of the U.S., Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud has taken action by calling for additional police patrol in streets and increasing visibility around places of worship and vital infrastructure points.
The Guardian quoted Hammoud's sharp response from his social media post, calling the piece 'bigoted' and 'Islamophobic.'
"Effective immediately - Dearborn police will ramp up its presence across all places of worship and major infrastructure points. This is 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," Hammoud posted on Twitter/X on Saturday afternoon.
What Does The President Say?
Joe Biden also weighed in, denouncing anti-Arab hate and, without referring specifically to the newspaper, saying, "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. We must continue to condemn hate in all forms."
The commissioner of the local Wayne County, David Knezek, commented on Facebook, saying he was "deeply disturbed."
"Rather than uplift the WSJ's divisive and dangerous language, I wanted to remind people of the beautiful and wonderful city that I and countless others know the City of Dearborn to be," Knezek said.
Reuters revealed an alarming increase in bigoted and Islamophobic rhetoric online targeting the city of Dearborn. However, as of Sunday afternoon, there were no reports of any unrest in Dearborn, a suburb of about 110,000 people that borders Detroit.
The city has one of the highest percentages of Arab Americans among U.S. cities, with census figures showing it is about 54% Arab American.
"Reckless. Bigoted. Islamophobic," Hammoud said on Saturday about the WSJ piece written by Steven Stalinsky, executive director of the Middle East Media Research Institute.
Biden, who is running for reelection, has faced intense criticism and protests from Dearborn and other anti-war voices around the country for his unyielding support of Israel in its offensive against Gaza. Arab-American leaders in Michigan recently refused to meet with Biden's campaign team.
Democratic state representative Alabas Farhat commented, "It's unrealistic to expect that political conversations will re-secure our support for the president when only a ceasefire can truly re-open that door."
Rights advocates have noted a rise in Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian bias, and antisemitism since the start of the war in October.
Numerous Democratic members of the U.S. Congress like Representatives Pramila Jayapal and Ro Khanna, and Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow, have condemned the WSJ opinion piece, with Jayapal demanding an apology from the newspaper.
Stalinksy continues to stand by his piece.
