Dearborn activist whose rally sparked cries of 'death to America' is Islamic teacher who thinks it would be an 'honor' to be named on terror watch list - but complained about being 'racially profiled' at airport

An Islamic activist whose Michigan rally sparked calls of 'Death to America' has previously said it would be an 'honor' to be placed on a list of 'history's biggest terrorists', DailyMail.com can reveal.

Tarek Bazzi provoked a fevered response from protesters in his home city of Dearborn, which has been dubbed the 'jihad capital' of the US, after he called on them 'to pour all of your chants and all of your shouts upon the head of America'.

The crowd, who had gathered to mark Al-Quds Day in support of Palestine on April 5, responded with repeated chants of 'Death to America'.

Bazzi continued to rile up the crowd, calling for the 'entire' American system to be wiped out.

But this is not the first time the firebrand Islamist has incited hatred against the country where he was educated, having previously described it as a 'satanic, imperialist force' and calling for resistance 'in any way necessary'.

Islamic activist and teacher Tarek Bazzi sparked outcry after his anti-America speech at a rally in Dearborn, Michigan, provoked repeated chants of 'Death to America'

Bazzi, who is affiliated with the Dearborn-based Muslim youth organization the Hadi Institute, has previously called for bloodshed in the war against 'satanic, imperialist forces' 

The preacher, who has taught in private Islamic schools in Michigan after being educated in the US public school system, also appears to support terror in the fight against Israel and its allies.

In a post on his Instagram page, which has been recently taken down, he said: 'To be placed on the terror list of history's biggest terrorists is nothing but an honor.'

It is not clear whether Bazzi was referring to the official US terror watch list, or if he is on it, but he told a rally in Dearborn in 2021 that 'if the FBI knocks on your door, you close that door and you tell them to go to hell'.

At the protest outside the city's police station, he called on those assembled to 'fight against the forces of the devil', referring to Israel, the US and other western powers.

Bazzi, who is affiliated with Dearborn-based Muslim youth education organization the Hadi Institute, said that there would be 'a price to pay' for victory, adding: 'Blood must be spilled, martyrdom must be sought after. Resistance is necessary in any way necessary.'

He told the crowds: 'You cannot stand up against the satanic, imperialist forces of the world if you're scared of them.

'The most that they can do is to kill us and that is martyrdom in the way of Allah.'

Bazzi also indicated his support for Hezbollah, designated as a terrorist group by the US, saying they were being 'targeted' simply for supporting Palestine.

He described American presidents as 'satanic puppets'.

His call to arms has fueled concerns over growing anti-American sentiment in Dearborn after it was dubbed 'America's Jihad Capital' in a Wall Street Journal opinion column earlier this year.

Steve Salinsky, executive director of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), wrote that 'Almost immediately after... and long before Israel began its ground offensive in Gaza, 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.'

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.

Bazzi said on Instagram that 'to be placed on the terror list of history's biggest terrorists is nothing but an honor'. His profile has since been deleted. 

Despite his bloodthirsty rhetoric, Bazzi has previously complained of being 'harassed' at customs while boarding a flight from Chicago to Lebanon.

He told Arab American News in August 2019 that he had been stopped at O'Hare International Airport by a CBP officer and met with a 'barrage of questions'.

Bazzi said the officer asked about where he was going and whether he had any family in Lebanon, to which he replied 'only distant relatives', adding that he deliberately kept his answers 'vague'.

Bazzi then said he became fed up with the officer's questions and asked why he was being discriminated against.

He told the publication: 'I chose to share this experience because we are living in a time period where Muslims and Arab Americans are being targeted on every front and the airports are some of the most common places of this discrimination.'

Bazzi has also railed against the US school system, describing it as 'a cesspool of every spiritual and moral and ideological corruption', before telling the TMJ News Network that he attended public schools in this country. 

DailyMail.com has contacted Bazzi and the Hadi Institute, but has not received a response. 

Stalinsky's WSJ 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.