The mayor of Dearborn, Michigan, has taken action after the publication of an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal titled “Welcome to Dearborn, America’s Jihad Capital,” which has been widely condemned as "bigoted" and "Islamophobic."
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud denounced the piece by Steven Stalinsky, executive director of the Middle East Media Research Institute, labeling it as "reckless," "bigoted," and "Islamophobic."
In response to the inflammatory rhetoric, Mayor Hammoud has directed Dearborn police to increase their presence across places of worship and major infrastructure points immediately.
Dearborn, where about 54% of residents are Arab Americans, has faced a surge in Islamophobic rhetoric following the publication of the controversial op-ed.
Rights advocates have highlighted a rise in Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian bias in the US since the beginning of Israel’s war on the besieged Gaza Strip in October.
Instances of hate crimes targeting Muslims and Arabs, including the stabbing of a 6-year-old Muslim boy in Illinois, have raised alarm and prompted calls for action from organizations like the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
CAIR reported a significant increase in requests for help and reports of bias, indicating a concerning trend in anti-Muslim sentiments.
The ongoing conflict in Gaza, where thousands have been killed and injured amid Israeli airstrikes and a blockade, has further fueled tensions and exacerbated anti-Arab sentiments in the US.
