Biden Denounces ‘Anti-Arab Hate’ Amid Controversial Opinion Piece

Protesters wave Palestinian and Latin American flags in support of Palestinians and Hamas in Los Angeles on Oct. 12, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

In response to an opinion piece published in the Wall Street Journal that referred to Dearborn, Michigan, as “America’s jihad capital,” President Joe Biden condemned what he called “anti-Arab hate” directed at citizens of that area.

The president spoke to the issue in a social media post, asserting that the contents of the article could lead to aggressive forms of discrimination.

“Americans know that blaming a group of people based on the words of a small few is wrong. 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,” President Biden wrote in a Feb. 4 post to X, formerly known as Twitter. “We must continue to condemn hate in all forms.”

The opinion post that he referred to was published on Friday with the headline “Welcome to Dearborn, America’s Jihad Capital” and the subheading “Imams and politicians in the Michigan city side with Hamas against Israel and Iran against the United States.”

It brought attention to the demonstrations that took place in Dearborn and stated that locals were “in support of Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran.” It is estimated that Arab Americans make up the majority of the population of Dearborn.

In a statement, the mayor of the city, Abdullah Hammoud, expressed his appreciation that President Biden “recognizes the severity and danger” of the article in the Journal.

“The unfortunate reality is Islamophobia has become an acceptable form of hate. Those who demonize or stereotype Muslims or Arab Americans quickly find bigger platforms and greater notoriety,” he said in a social media post.

The mayor issued an order on Friday to increase the level of security throughout the entire city in response to the opinion piece that has continued to cause controversy.

The article was written by Steven Stalinsky, executive director of the Middle East Media Research Institute. Mr. Stalinsky said in an interview with The Associated Press that his intention was to draw attention to protests in Michigan and elsewhere across the United States.

The protests have taken place across the nation since the start of the Hamas war with Israel, and many Americans have expressed support for the group.

“Nothing in my article was written to instigate any sort of hate,” Mr. Stalinsky told The Associated Press after publication of the article. “This is a moment for counterterrorism officials to be concerned.”

Following the article’s publication, the Dearborn mayor announced that security was increased at places of worship and major infrastructure points as a “direct result” of a Wall Street Journal opinion piece

Mr. Hammoud posted on X that the item published on Friday “led to an alarming increase in bigoted and Islamophobic rhetoric online targeting the city of Dearborn.”

He went on to say, “It’s equally important that [the Biden] administration recognize the rhetoric and decision-making that created the climate for it to be written in the first place.”

The Wall Street Journal did not immediately respond to The Epoch Times’s request for comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.