Catholic journalist sues Dearborn alleging preferential treatment of Islam

A Catholic journalist filed a lawsuit last Thursday against the city of Dearborn, Mich., and its mayor, Abdullah Hammoud, accusing them of violating the First Amendment by giving Muslims preferential treatment over adherents of other religions.

Margot Cleveland, senior legal correspondent for The Federalist, alleged that city officials spent public funds and used city property to promote the Islamic holy month of Ramadan while refusing Cleveland's repeated requests to extend the same recognition to Christian and Jewish holidays. The lawsuit also alleged that Mayor Hammoud and city officials retaliated against Cleveland for speaking out about the disparity. When there was a surplus in funds, Cleveland requested it to be used for Easter or Passover decorations, but the city denied her request and instead purchased more Ramadan decorations for the following year, Cleveland said.

Does this violate the Constitution? Cleveland’s lawsuit argued that this was a violation of the establishment clause of the First Amendment, which says that one religious denomination cannot be officially preferred over another.

Did the lawsuit mention other anti-Christian biases? Cleveland claimed that in a 2025 city council meeting, a Christian pastor pushed back on the renaming of a local street after Osama Siblani, who has allegedly called terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah “freedom fighters.” The Christian pastor, Ted Baram, said Jesus, whom the Bible refers to as the Prince of Peace, said, “blessed are the peacemakers.” In response, Mayor Hammoud called him an Islamophobe and said “although you live here, I want you to know as mayor, you are not welcome here.”

What has the mayor’s office had to say? WORLD reached out to Mayor Hammoud’s office for comment on Tuesday. This story will be updated with any response received. In a statement to the Associated Press, the city government characterized the allegations as attacks on the city’s diverse culture and what it called its welcoming nature. The statement also insisted that Dearborn had a longstanding commitment to serve all of its residents fairly and equitably, regardless of their religious beliefs or background.