Dearborn, Michigan has increased police presence at places of worship and major infrastructure points in response to a Wall Street Journal opinion piece titled “Welcome to Dearborn, America’s Jihad Capital,” which led to an increase in Islamophobic rhetoric online targeting the city.
The piece’s author, Steven Stalinsky, aimed to draw attention to protests expressing support for Hamas in Michigan and across the U.S. since the conflict with Israel began, but stated that his article was not intended to incite hate.
President Biden condemned hate and warned against blaming a group based on the actions of a few, emphasizing the potential for Islamophobia and anti-Arab hate.
“Nothing in my article was written to instigate any sort of hate,” Middle East Media Research Institute executive director Steven Stalinsky said.
“This is a moment for counterterrorism officials to be concerned.”
“Americans know that blaming a group of people based on the words of a small few is wrong,” Biden wrote. “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.”
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