Category: Michigan

‘Death to America’ Mayor Insists That ‘Dearborn is a City of Proud Americans,’ Convinces No One

Robert Spencer | 7:06 PM on April 11, 2024
AP Photo/Vahid Salemi
The alarming scene that unfolded last Friday in Dearborn, Mich., with Muslim protesters chanting “Death to America,” has resulted in some fallout for the city’s mayor, Abdullah Hammoud. While Old Joe Biden and his henchmen are happily taking a wrecking ball to the former Land of the Free and Home of the Brave, they don’t go around telegraphing their intentions. 

Their friends in Dearborn were a bit too forthright about what the ultimate goal of the policies that the left and their Islamic allies really are, so reassuring words had to be uttered and the public put back to sleep. Hammoud found, however, that at least some people had been jolted away much too rudely for that to be possible.

Hammoud entreated the world Monday not to believe its lying eyes, but to heed his soothing words instead. “Over the weekend,” he wrote, “video emerged of a rally in Dearborn where some attendees were chanting statements that were unacceptable and contrary to the heart of the city. We reject all inflammatory and violent statements made at the gathering.” That was a swell disavowal, but it was glaring that Hammoud said nothing about investigating the people involved.

Instead, the earnest young mayor continued, “Dearborn is a city of proud Americans; the hateful rhetoric heard on Friday does not reflect the opinion of the members of this community." The Dearborn community stands for peace and justice for all people. We are proud to call this city and this country home.” While he intended this to tamp down the controversy, it only ended up making matters worse, because Hammoud’s description of Dearborn diverged so widely from what is generally known about the city.

Back in February, the Wall Street Journal had an op-ed noting that “a local headline describing an Oct. 10 event at the Ford Performing Arts Center read, "Michigan rally cheers Hamas attack.’” It quoted Imam Imran Salha of the Islamic Center of Detroit in Dearborn calling for the “demise” of Israel. Another Dearborn-area imam, Usama Abdulghani, “called Oct. 7 ‘one of the days of Allah’ and a ‘miracle come true.’ He described the attackers as ‘honorable.’”

In response to all that and much more, Hammoud didn’t denounce the Hamas supporters or affirm his city’s rejection of jihad violence. Instead, he went into full victim mode, announcing that Dearborn police would “ramp up its presence across all places of worship and major infrastructure points. 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.” 

It's understandable, in light of all this, that Hammoud’s new claim that Dearborn is just packed with “proud Americans” was received with extreme skepticism. Historian and journalist Daniel Greenfield responded by pointing out an uncomfortable fact: “you've taken part in rallies with terrorist supporters, do you disavow Osama Siblani who called Hamas and Hezbollah ‘freedom fighters’?" Greenfield has noted that Siblani “had previously told the Washington Post that, ‘Mr. Bush believes Hezbollah, Hamas, and other Palestinian factions are terrorists, but we believe they are freedom fighters’” and that Hammoud had appeared at rallies with Siblani.

An Israeli, Michael Elgort, quoted a lengthy statement from Hammoud on Oct. 8, 2023, and addressed the mayor: “This you justifying October 7 and saying Israel has it coming?... Your tweet is totally in line with the message you pretend to condemn now, so nah, this hateful rhetoric does reflect your opinion.”

The popular X account LeftismForU responded in a similar vein: “Your history and your city's constant explicit hatred for America/Western society, support for terrorism, and calls for violence against those who don't conform to your radical and immoralistic [sic] views says otherwise. Another popular X writer, Alaskan Tequila, wrote: “Okay. You pretend to reject that hateful and violent rhetoric and we’ll pretend that we don’t know what taqiyya is.”

    Related: Yes, It Has Come to This: They’re Screaming ‘Death to America’ In Dearborn

Educator and writer David Bashevkin observed acidly, “Weird I’ve never been to a rally for Israel that spontaneously broke out with chants calling for the death of America.”

It looks as if one bland X post from Abdullah Hammoud isn’t going to undo the damage that was done to Dearborn’s image last Friday. For two decades now, Americans who have been warning about Islam’s political, supremacist, and violent aspects have been demonized, vilified, and marginalized as “Islamophobes.” But Muslims such as those who were chanting “Death to America” in Dearborn last Friday just keep on proving them right.

Guess Which Michigan Politicians Passed Up Chance to Condemn ‘Death to America’ Chants

Robert Spencer | 8:20 PM on April 10, 2024
SEE: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2024/04/guess-which-michigan-politicians-passed-up-chance-to-condemn-death-to-america-chants; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:
AP Photo/Patrick Semansky
For politicians, one would think it would have been an open-and-shut case, and in earlier, saner ages in our national life, it would have been. If a group of people in America get together and scream “Death to America,” officials ought to be lining up to condemn them, and there should be investigations and, if non-citizens are involved, deportations. We live, however, in Old Joe Biden’s America, in which the America-hating left is the dominant cultural force, and so some high-profile politicians have been notably wary about condemning calls for the destruction of the nation they have vowed to protect and defend.

The ugly scene unfolded last Friday at the International Al Quds Day rally in Dearborn. Al Quds Day is an annual event that Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini started in support of the Palestinians; even at its most peaceful, its rallies frequently feature calls for the destruction of Israel and a new genocide of the Jews.

In Dearborn, however, as a pro-Hamas activist named Tarek Bazzi denounced the United States as “one of the rottenest countries that has ever existed on this earth,” some of the people in the crowd screamed “al-mawt li Amrika,” that is, “Death to America.” As they did so, Bazzi stood with head bowed, waiting for them to go silent so that he could resume speaking. He gave no hint of disapproval of the chants.

When asked to condemn the chants, some Michigan politicians acted the same way. The Daily Caller reported Wednesday that it had contacted several Democrat elected officials in Michigan and asked them to condemn the chants, and not all of them were eager to jump on any patriotic bandwagon.

Some members of Michigan’s Congressional delegation had no problem doing so. Rep. Hillary Scholten declared: “I fully condemn this dangerous and disturbing rhetoric and will stand strong against hatred, bigotry, and anti-Semitism wherever it exists.”

Rep. Dan Kildee chimed in with this: “I unequivocally condemn such extreme and dangerous speech. Calling for violence, including the destruction of America, is wrong and should be denounced.”

Rep. Elissa Slotkin agreed: “Violent, hateful language has no place in our communities, no matter the cause." I’m grateful to the Dearborn leaders and others for making clear that these statements do not reflect the views of Michigan’s communities.”

All this was pro forma, standard-issue stuff: violence, hate, and bigotry have no place in our diverse blah blah blah. Modern-day politicians can rattle off this tired rhetoric in their sleep, and anyway, condemnations are easy: it is unlikely that Scholten, Kildee or Slotkin will take any action to try to address anti-American sentiment among Muslims in Dearborn. Call for schoolchildren to be educated in America’s virtues and contributions to the world? Call for a recovery of patriotism as a core value of any healthy society? Come on, man! That sort of thing could get them to lose the next election! At least they did, however, go on record condemning the “Death to America” chants. The courage it took to do so was apparently in short supply.

    Related: Yes, It Has Come to This: They’re Screaming ‘Death to America’ In Dearborn

Rep. Shri Thanedar’s office, in contrast, opted to “politely decline” to condemn the chants. The office wonks, however, apparently thought it over and decided that a condemnation was a politically safer path, for subsequently they issued a statement saying that “the Congressman condemns any chants calling for death to America.” Thanedar himself added: “I love America; I immigrated to the USA in 1979 and became a proud citizen in 1988. Any hate towards this great country must be condemned with the strongest words. I am deeply saddened by such attacks on American soil."

Thanedar was not alone in having cold feet, at least initially: Reps. Debbie Dingell, Haley Stevens, Debbie Stabenow, Gary Peters and (what did you expect?) Rashida Tlaib “refused to share their stance on the matter.” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer likewise “did not respond to a request for comment.”

It’s not hard to see why. The Muslim population in Michigan has grown rapidly. Just as Old Joe Biden is betraying Israel to try to ensure that he carries Michigan in November, so also Whitmer and the others have to reckon with the Muslim vote when considering whether they really want to come down against chanting “Death to America.” Of course, if the “Death to America” chanters get their way and America really dies, those who declined to stand for this nation in order to secure short-term political support will look awfully silly. But they aren’t thinking that far ahead.

Michigan: Imam says ‘Don’t worry, Jewish man. One day will come, and we will slaughter you like a sheep.’

By

SEE: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2024/03/michigan-imam-says-dont-worry-jewish-man-one-day-will-come-and-we-will-slaughter-you-like-a-sheep; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

“Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger as saying: ‘The last hour would not come unless the Muslims will fight against the Jews and the Muslims would kill them until the Jews would hide themselves behind a stone or a tree and a stone or a tree would say: Muslim, or the servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him; but the tree Gharqad would not say, for it is the tree of the Jews.’” (Sahih Muslim 2922)

“Michigan Friday Sermon By Imam Abdou Zindani: One Day The Muslims Will Slaughter The Jews Like Sheep; Oh Allah, Make Us Soldiers for You, Make Us Die The Way You Want Us To Die,” MEMRI, January 5, 2024:

In a January 5, 2024 Friday sermon at the Islamic Center of Warren, Michigan, which was streamed live on the Mosque’s YouTube channel, Imam Abdou Alwaly Zindani invoked the hadith about the Muslims killing the Jews at the End of Times. He said that the Muslims will slaughter the Jews like sheep and that the stones and trees will “work undercover” for the Muslims, telling them where the Jews are hiding. Zindani continued to supplicate: “Oh Allah, make us soldiers for You, […] make us die the way you want us to die.”

Imam Abdou Zindani: “One Jewish man in New York was talking to a Palestinian businessman. First, the [Palestinian] said: ‘Don’t worry, Jewish man." One day will come, and we will slaughter you like a sheep and the stone and the tree will work undercover with us. They will tell us: ‘Hey Muslim, come. Somebody is hiding here, get up and kill him.

[…]

“Oh Allah, make us soldiers for You." Every-way you want us to be – with the tank, with the eye, with the money, with the hand, make us soldiers for Islam. Make us die the way you want us to die.”

Hezbollah’s Covert U.S. Training Ground for Muslim Children in Dearborn, Michigan

By

SEE: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2024/03/hezbollahs-covert-u-s-training-ground-for-muslim-children-in-dearborn-michigan; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

At the Great Revelations Academy, the convergence of troubling Islamic teachings and Sharia adherence unveils a disturbing reality of Islamic radical grooming within U.S. borders, underscored by the troubling fact that the U.S. government has granted tax-exempt status to an institution facilitating such jihadist indoctrination.

In a Sharia-adherent event that has attracted considerable attention, the Islamic Al-Mustapha Girl Scouts recently held their annual Takleef Celebration at Great Revelations Academy, a private Islamic school in Dearborn, Michigan. The controversial school has connections to staunch supporters of Hezbollah and the Iranian regime. The ceremony, deeply rooted in Shiite Islamic tradition, marks the coming of age for young Muslim girls, imposing upon them the rigorous observance of Sharia law, including the controversial practice of wearing the hijab. The troubling implications of such Islamic ceremonies reinforce a doctrine of female subjugation and raise profound concerns about the integration of Muslim communities into Western societies.

Ceremony Overview

The Takleef Celebration Event is a pivotal moment in the lives of young Shiite Muslim girls. It signifies their obligation to start observing Islamic practices, such as fasting, praying, and dressing modestly (often, girls are given their first chador, a full-length body covering) from as young as nine years old.

The event underscores the adherence to Sharia law, even in Western settings, compelling these young girls to take on responsibilities that emphasize their role in preventing male temptation through their attire. This practice not only sexualizes children at a tender age but also places an undue burden on them, aligning with a broader Islamic perspective that sees women primarily as guardians of virtue through modesty.

In Western nations, women who adopt Sharia practices are a threat, as their commitment lies in the propagation of Islamic law. This is of particular concern to Dearborn, known as the Arab capital of North America, where Lebanese, Syrian, Palestinian, Iraqi, and Yemeni communities are concentrated. The city claims the highest American Muslim population per capita, primarily of Shiite Muslim denomination, and is also home to the nation’s largest mosque. Arabic signs adorn the facades of restaurants and businesses. Even within Dearborn’s public schools, all meat served is Halal—a strategic means employed by Muslim minorities to gradually introduce elements of Sharia into the broader non-Muslim majority of the West.

The Hijab: Symbol of Oppression

Contrary to Islamic and left-wing narratives that frame the hijab as a symbol of cultural identity or religious devotion, the ceremony and teachings at the Great Revelations Academy utilize it as a means of oppressing young girls. The event instills in young girls the belief that their values and social responsibility hinge on their ability to conform to strict Sharia dress codes designed to mitigate male desire. This perspective is further reinforced by Islamic scriptures, which dictate the covering of women as a preventive measure against potential abuse, essentially normalizing a culture of victim-blaming.

The Quran itself commands women to cover themselves to the extent that they are no longer capable of provoking temptation, and if they do not, they are considered fair game to be “abused.” As Robert Spencer explains, “It is not a cultural custom as some purport; it’s a religious edict.”

(Quran 24:31) And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only what is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms, and not to reveal their adornment except to their own husbands or fathers or husbands’ fathers, or their sons or their husbands’ sons, or their brothers or their brothers’ sons or sisters’ sons, or their women, or their slaves, or male attendants who lack desire, or children who know nothing of women’s nakedness. And do not let them stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide from their adornment. And turn to Allah together, O believers, so that you may succeed.

(Quran 33:59) O prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their veils close around them. It will be better so that they may be recognized and not molested.

The Great Revelations Academy’s Radical Islamic Ties

Investigations into the Great Revelations Academy reveal a concerning foundation rooted in Islamic extremism. Founded in 2015 by fervent supporters of Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah, a key figure in the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran and considered the spiritual leader of Hezbollah, the academy’s ideological underpinnings raise alarming questions about the education and values being imparted to young Muslims in America.

The U.S. considered Fadlallah responsible for the bombing of multinational forces in Beirut in October 1983, in which 241 U.S. Marines and 56 French paratroopers were killed in two explosions. He was designated a terrorist by the U.S. Treasury Department.

Fadlallah hated with a vengeance the United States government and Israel. He regularly praised the terror attacks that killed Israeli citizens. He was known as an enthusiastic supporter of suicide bombings against Israel. Fadlallah wished that the state of Israel would cease to exist.

Fadlallah’s support for terrorist actions and organizations underscores the troubling nature of the academy’s association with his teachings. Furthermore, Clarion Project reports that statements from the academy’s founders, such as Fouad Bayoun, explicitly express their dedication to spreading Fadlallah’s message in the United States.

 

 

Principal Sheila Bazzi-Charara has openly declared the academy’s adherence to Fadlallah’s philosophy, mission, and vision, further solidifying its ties to extremism. Additionally, collaborations with organizations like the Qaim Project, led by Sheikh Mohammad Ayad, demonstrate the academy’s alignment with extremist ideologies.

 

 

Ayad’s Qaim Project glorifies Hezbollah and Hamas, advocating for a Shiite-Sunni jihadist alliance against the West. The project’s endorsement of the Iranian regime and its anti-American worldview further exemplify the academy’s dangerous associations.

Guest speakers like Sheikh Amin Rastani, known for their support of the Iranian regime and affiliation with regime-friendly religious schools in Qom, Iran, further reinforce the academy’s extremist ties.

Additionally, connections to radical figures further highlight the concerning nature of the academy’s associations. In 2015, at the Az-Zahraa Islamic Center in Detroit, MI, radical Imam Dr. Sayed Moustafa Al-Qazwini praised the opening of the troubling Great Revelations Academy and encouraged the construction of more Islamic schools in America for Muslim children.

Al-Qazwini, known for his extremist views and anti-Semitic rhetoric, demands a perpetual state of war with Israel, expresses hatred towards Jews, defends Hamas, and propagates conspiracies such as claiming that “ISIS is the production of Israeli intelligence.” Such endorsements from individuals with radical ideologies underscore the academy’s alignment with extremist agendas.

In light of these findings, it becomes clear that the Great Revelations Academy serves as a platform for disseminating an Islamic view that not only contradicts Western values of equality and freedom but also perpetuates a divisive and dangerous worldview.

The troubling revelation of the Great Revelations Academy’s Islamic radical ties raises serious concerns about the grooming of Muslim children in America to adhere to Sharia law and sympathize with terrorist groups and ideologies. The lack of oversight regarding the teachings at this Islamic institution is deeply troubling. Furthermore, the fact that the Great Revelations Academy is recognized as a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code raises questions about whether American taxpayers should be compelled to support a school that promotes anti-Western beliefs and supports organizations and individuals with harmful Islamic intentions.

This article has been crossposted with permission from the RAIR Foundation.