At a recent Dearborn, Michigan, City Council meeting, resident Edward “Ted” Barham raised concerns about street signs honoring Osama Siblani, publisher of the Arab American News.
Barham, who identified himself as a Christian, cited Siblani’s past comments and alleged support for designated terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah. He framed his objection around Christian principles, emphasizing peace and moral clarity.
The reaction from council members was immediate, according to a report from the New York Post:
One clarified, “The sign that was placed on Warren Avenue which is a County road and that was done by the Wayne County Executive.” But Barham maintained that the issue mattered to Dearborn residents because the signs stood in their city.
At that moment, Mayor Abdullah H. Hammoud reacted with unmistakable intensity:
“The best suggestion I have for you is to not drive on Warren Avenue or to close your eyes while you’re doing it. His name is up there and I spoke at a ceremony celebrating it because he’s done a lot for this community.”
“You are a bigot, a racist, and an Islamophobe,” Hammoud continued. “Although you live here, I want you to know as mayor, you are not welcome here.”
He went further, saying he would host a parade the day Barham moves out of Dearborn.
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As The Post notes, the controversy stems from Wayne County’s decision last month to honor Siblani by naming streets after him:
FOX 2 Detroit reported the county commission approved the designation, not the city council. Hammoud and other local officials attended a ceremony celebrating the unveiling.
Hammoud is Dearborn’s first Arab American and Muslim mayor. The Detroit suburb, with a population of about 105,000, is home to one of the nation’s largest Arab American and Muslim communities.
Critics say the mayor’s response to Barham crossed a line and could have a chilling effect on dissent — especially for Christian residents with concerns about extremism.
Supporters counter that Hammoud was standing up to bigotry and defending Dearborn’s Muslim community from inflammatory attacks.
The exchange comes as the city continues to process political aftershocks from the 2024 presidential election.
President Donald Trump carried Dearborn — a longtime Democratic stronghold — with a plurality of votes. The remainder split between Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and a wave of third-party protest votes.
Jill Stein pulled 18% of the vote there — more than anywhere else in the state — reflecting frustration among Arab American and Muslim voters with the Biden administration’s handling of the Gaza war and Middle East policy.
This marked the first time a Republican won Dearborn since George W. Bush in 2000.
The clash over Siblani’s recognition underscores a deeper divide: How does a city with overlapping and often conflicting identities handle speech, honor, and civic belonging?
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All they are here for is to try and overthrow are justice system, ship them out
This is America…and I am totally aware of what is written in the Koran…that Muslims can not take an oath, except to Allah. Therefore, any Muslim Representative in Congress or Mayor or Public Official, should not hold office, because their allegiance is not to America. Their oaths to support and promote America are questionable, because It says in the Koran that Muslims may lie to advance Islam. When people become citizens, they take an oath to give up all ties to their former countries. However, I am seeing that this is not occurring in Congress or in cities, where Muslims reside. Their ties are to their former islamic countries.
America Vote Out the Tyrants democrats and liberals and progressives in Every Election We The People Demand it.
These St. Signs Have Got To Go, Along With The Mayor