Earlier Arab Immigrants Also Wary of Syrian Refugees

They're not rolling out the welcome wagon for the Syrian refugees in the Arab immigrant enclave of Dearborn, Michigan, NBC News reported.

And some longtime residents told NBC News they even agree with Gov. Rick Snyder's decision to suspend efforts to bring the long-suffering Syrians to his state after last week's deadly terrorist attacks in Paris. 

"We don't need no more troubles, you know?" said Hicham Dawil, who immigrated to the U.S. three decades ago. "I feel bad for the people. On the other hand, look what's happening in France. This is crazy, you know. It's just evil."

Arab immigrants began arriving in Dearborn, population 98,000, in the last century to work at Ford Motor Company. Now nearly half of this city just west of Detroit is Arab — mostly Lebanese, but with large numbers of Iraqis, Yemenis and Syrians. While most are Muslim, they are generally Shiites, making them the sworn enemies of ISIS, who are Sunni Muslims.

The support for Snyder's move is by no means universal in Dearborn.

"I understand it, I'm a citizen of the United States," said Reem Akkad, a Michigan-born son of Syrian immigrants. "I would not want anyone to endanger any of my fellow citizens, anyone that I know. But I think that the link that was established is the wrong link."

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