- Protesters gathered in honor of Al-Quds Day, an international day to show support for Palestine
- “The chant ‘death to Israel’ has become the most logical chant shouted around the world today,” said one activist.
- Dearborn was labeled “America’s Jihad Capital” in an op-ed earlier this year
Chants of “Death to America!” and ‘death to Israel!’ erupted during a protest in a Michigan city that a Wall Street Journal columnist labeled the county’s “jihad capital.”
Protesters gathered in the city on Sunday to commemorate Al-Quds Day, an international day to show support for Palestine and oppose Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories.
The protest came six days after seven World Central Kitchen aid workers were killed by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza.
Video shared by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) shows Tarek Bazzi, a local activist, making remarks at a podium as chants of “death to America!” noise in the background.
“It’s not just Genocide Joe that needs to go,” Bazzi said, referring to President Biden.
‘It’s the whole system that has to go. Any system that would allow and support such atrocities and such devils – such a system does not deserve to exist on God’s earth.”
Protesters gathered in Dearborn on Sunday to commemorate Al-Quds Day, an international day to show support for Palestine
Activist Tarek Bazzi spoke at a podium as chants of “death to America” and “death to Israel” sounded in the background
Bazzi then turned his attention to Israel.
“So when these fools ask us whether Israel has the right to exist… the chant ‘death to Israel’ has become the most logical chant being shouted around the world today,” he said.
The crowd then repeated the chant.
Bazzi explained that the rallies have become “so anti-American” because “it is the United States government that provides the funds for all the atrocities.”
As an example, he cited Israel’s attack on Gaza, which has killed more than 31,000 Palestinians since the conflict between Israel and Hamas began in earnest in October 2023.
Demonstrations have been held in Dearborn for at least two decades to mark Al-Quds Day, which coincides with the last day of Ramadan.
But the city then turned heads earlier this year MEMRI director Steven Stalinsky described it in a now infamous op-ed in the Wall Street Journal as “the American jihad capital.”
“Almost immediately afterwards… and long before Israel began its ground offensive in Gaza,” Stalinisky wrote, “people celebrated the day’s horrific events in pro-Hamas rallies and marches throughout Dearborn.”
He claimed that religious leaders had called for the extermination of the Israeli people and pointed to a headline describing a pro-Palestinian event that read: “Michigan rally applauds Hamas attack.”
Stalinsky’s comments quickly sparked a backlash, with local leaders and activists claiming he was endangering innocent civilians.
Mayor Abdullah Hammoud posted a message on X, formerly Twitter, claiming the article had contributed to a rise in anti-Muslim sentiment against the city.
“Effective immediately – Dearborn Police will increase their presence at all places of worship and key infrastructure points,” he wrote.
“This is a direct result of the inflammatory WSJ op-ed that has led to an alarming increase in bigoted and Islamophobic rhetoric online targeting the city of Dearborn. Stay vigilant.”
Staliniski defended his comments in an interview with CBS Detroitstressing that the article was not intended as “a broad swipe at every person in Dearborn.”
He claimed that protests “both in Dearborn and across 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 look into.” Nobody does that,” Staliniski continued. ‘That’s the essence of the article.’
MEMRI is a nonprofit press monitoring organization co-founded by a former Israeli intelligence officer.