(CANTON, MI, 2/3/2024) – The Michigan chapter of Council on America Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI), a local chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed stepped-up police patrols at house of worship and “major infrastructure points” in Dearborn, Michigan, after the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) published an inflammatory anti-Muslim commentary targeting that city.
SEE: Michigan mayor ramps up police force near places of worship, citing ‘inflammatory’ WSJ op-ed
SEE ALSO: Wall Street Journal Slammed Over ‘Islamophobic’ Op-Ed On Michigan City
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud said the increased protection was the result of a WSJ op-ed titled, “Welcome to Dearborn, America’s Jihad Capital,” falsely claiming pro-Palestine protesters support terrorism. The op-ed was written by Steven Salinski, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Middle East Media Research Institute, which has been described as an “anti-Muslim group.”
“We welcome the proactive approach taken by Mayor Hammoud to protect the Muslim community from potential attack based on the false claims in this inaccurate and inflammatory commentary,” said CAIR-MI Executive Director, Dawud Walid. “Those who support the genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza are now resorting to smear tactics to prevent Americans from learning the truth about the far-right Israeli government’s brutal actions targeting the Palestinian people.”
He urged houses of worship to utilize CAIR’s “Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety” guide, which can be accessed here.
Washington, D.C., based CAIR recently released new civil rights data showing that it has received 3,578 complaints during the last three months of 2023 amid an ongoing wave of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hate.
This represents a 178 percent increase in incoming complaints in the last three months of 2023 compared to a similar period the previous year.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
END
CONTACT: CAIR-MI Executive Director, Dawud Walid (248) 842-1418, dwalid@cair.com; CAIR-MI Staff Attorney, Amy V. Doukoure, (586) 943-8823, adoukoure@cair.com