Muslim protestors chant 'death to America, death to Israel' at rally in Michigan's Dearborn after city was branded 'Jihad capital' of the U.S by WSJ

Muslim protesters were heard chanting 'death to America' and 'death to Israel' during a rally in a Michigan city dubbed the 'jihad capital' of the US by the Wall Street Journal.

Demonstrators gathered in the city in commemoration of Al-Quds Day in support of Palestine and to oppose Israel.

The protest came less than a week after seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen were killed by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza, drawing global outrage.

Video shared by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) shows Tarek Bazzi, a local activist, delivering remarks at a podium as chants of 'death to America!' sound in the background. 

 

Activist Tarek Bazzi spoke at a podium while chants of 'death to America' and 'death to Israel' sounded in the background

Dearborn was deemed 'America's jihad capital' by political commentator Steven Stalinisky in a Wall Street Journal op-ed

'It's not just Genocide Joe that has to go,' Bazzi said in reference to President Biden. 

'It is the entire system that has to go. Any system that would allow such atrocities and such devilry to happen, and would support it – such a system does not deserve to exist on God's Earth.' Bazzi then directed his attention to Israel.

'So when these fools ask us if Israel has the right to exist...the chant 'death to Israel' has become the most logical chant shouted across the world today,' he said.

Audience members then repeated the chant.

Bazzi explained that the rallies have become 'so anti-American' because 'it's the United States government that provides the funds for all of the atrocities.'

As an example, he pointed to the Israeli assault on Gaza, which has seen more than 31,000 Palestinians killed since the Israel-Hamas conflict began in earnest in October 2023.

Demonstrations marking Al-Quds Day, which coincides with the last Friday of Ramadan, have been held in Dearborn for at least two decades. 

But the city attracted attention earlier this year after MEMRI Executive Director Steven Stalinsky branded it 'American's jihad capital' in Wall Street Journal opinion piece.

'Almost immediately after... and long before Israel began its ground offensive in Gaza,' Stalinisky wrote, 'people were celebrating the horrific events of that day in pro-Hamas rallies and marches throughout Dearborn.'

He alleged that religious leaders had called for the extermination of the Israeli people and pointed to a headline describing a pro-Palestine event that read 'Michigan rally cheers Hamas attack.'

Mayor Abdullah Hammoud slammed Stalinisky for his remarks, claiming they had contributed to increased anti-Muslim sentiment targeting the city

Stalinsky's comments swiftly attracted backlash, with local leaders and activists asserting that he was putting innocent civilians at risk.

In the immediate aftermath, his words caused the mayor of the suburb to ramp up police presence outside mosques and other major civil centers because of Islamophobic threats being hurled at its majority-Arab residents. 

Mayor Abdullah Hammoud posted a message to X, formerly Twitter, claiming the article had contributed to an increase in anti-Muslim sentiment targeting the city.

'Effective immediately - Dearborn police will ramp up its presence across all places of worship and major infrastructure points,' he wrote.

'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. Stay vigilant.'

Stalinisky defended his remarks in an interview with CBS Detroit, insisting the article was not meant as 'a broad swipe at every single person in Dearborn.'

He claimed protests, 'both in Dearborn as well as around the country' had become 'more aggressive,' citing the presence of 'pro-Hamas people' at the demonstrations.

'This should be an alarm for national security (and) counter-terrorism to be looking at. No one's doing that,' Stalinisky continued. 'That's the essence of the article.'

But he appeared to stand by his original comments in an interview with Fox News Digital as he labeled the city a 'hotbed of hate.' 

'You can see rallies and sermons in support for Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran,' said Stalinisky, who sits on MEMRI's board of directors.

The press monitoring group was co-founded by a former Israeli intelligence officer and bills itself as a 'independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit' organization.

According to census figures, Dearborn is roughly 54 percent Arab American, making it one of the most densely populated areas for Middle Eastern people in the US.

It is home to the largest Muslim population in the US per capita as well as the largest mosque in North America.

In the wake of the October 7 attacks on 1,000 Israeli citizens, protests erupted in Dearborn - supporting the Palestinian side.