Arab-American advocacy group to address WSJ opinion article calling Dearborn "jihad capital"
DEARBORN, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - An Arab-American advocacy group is holding a press conference Monday to address and denounce a Wall Street Journal opinion article that labeled Dearborn as "America's jihad capital."
The meeting will be comprised of members of the Metro Detroit community and community leaders, law enforcement officials and advocacy group representatives, according to Mariam E. Charara, the executive director of Arab American Civil Rights League (ACRL). It began at 2 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 5.
"This gathering is more than a press conference; it is a vital assembly of the Detroit Metro community, law enforcement, community leaders, and the ACRL to publicly counter the harmful allegations that have jeopardized our city's security and unity," said Charara. "Our collective voice will send a powerful message of resilience, unity, and commitment to inclusivity and safety for all residents."
This comes after a WSJ opinion article with the headline, "Welcome to Dearborn, America's Jihad Capital" was written by Steven Stalinsky, Ph.D., who is an American political commenter who focuses his writings on Middle Eastern terrorism.
The article claims that Dearborn residents support Palestinian and Islamist militant groups, including Hamas, and uses rallies and marches to support the claim.
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud said there will be more law enforcement officials present at places of worship and other areas of the city due to the article.
"In response to an Islamaphobic, Anti-Arab, and blatantly racist opinion piece published by the Wall Street Journal today, we have increased the presence of law enforcement throughout Dearborn," Hammoud said in a statement. "Dearborn Police continue to monitor social media for threats. This is more than irresponsible journalism. Publishing such inflammatory writing puts our residents at increased risk for harm."
On Monday, Stalinsky issued the following comment:
"In response to the tweet by Dearborn Mayor Abdullah H. Hammoud asserting that my WSJ opinion piece has prompted alarming online rhetoric against Dearborn, I would ask the mayor to point out what was incorrect and to view this compilation video of protests in his city of speeches and sermons by extremist imams – who proudly posted them on social media and which expose what I wrote in the article.
It shows shocking anti-U.S. and pro-jihad sermons and marches that are going on openly in his city. And it must be pointed out that these events took place in the direct center of Dearborn, at locations such as the Henry Ford Centennial Library and the Ford Performing Arts Center.
I would ask him why he has allowed support inside Dearborn for U.S.-designated terrorist groups, including Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as for the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism, Iran and its leaders and its proxy militias – who are most recently responsible for killing three American service personnel this past week – to continue for so long, thinking that no one would notice.
Why hasn't he condemned this open support in his city for America's enemies, who are killing American soldiers? I would also ask Mayor Hammoud for his comments on each of these videos below beginning with this video posted on the MEMRI website today of the mayor and his supporters making anti-American statements and calling for "the dismantling of Israel."
Sadly, we have seen the tweet of President Biden and statements from politicians, including Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and a few members of Congress - Sen. Gary Peters, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, and Rep. Debbie Dingell also denouncing the article, but I must point out – it is highly unlikely any of them bothered to read the article or watch the videos. The article is not political – it is about national security.
Also, it is deeply troubling that I have not seen one reaction in the media which has talked about the content of my article or asked any of the critics if they have seen them. The media hysteria and online frenzy have solely focused on the mayor's statement.
The main point of my article is that it is a fact – that there is support inside Dearborn – out in the open, in marches, in front of the community center and in major mosques– of the October 7th attack; of Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, and other prominent jihadis like the most influential English speaking figure Sheik Ahmad Musa Jibril. At these rallies and similar ones all around the country – that are becoming increasingly aggressive – there is the same type of overt support for jihadi groups. This is a moment for counter-terrorism officials to be concerned about. I am not the only one to say this – this is frequently stated by the director of the FBI and other law enforcement. I also don't know why the media isn't covering what is going on more closely at these protests.
It is also troubling that most media continue to denounce the op-ed by citing statements by CAIR – whose executive director, Nihad Awad, was exposed by MEMRI on November 24 expressing his joy at the October 7 Hamas attack. As a result of this exposure, the White House disavowed the organization and removed it from the National Strategy To Counter Antisemitism."