Mayor: Christian not welcome for objecting to street name

Dearborn, Mich. Mayor Abdullah Hammoud told a local man he was not welcome in the city for objecting to a street sign honoring Osama Siblani, the controversial founder of The American Arab News. Hammoud called the local man a racist and a bigot, and vowed the city would host a parade the day he left town.

Jewish groups in the past strongly objected to U.S. politicians engaging with Siblani and his weekly newspaper. He and his paper have repeatedly expressed sympathy for terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah, according to a profile by the Anti-Defamation League, which fights antiSemitism.

What exactly did the citizen say? A man identifying himself as Ted Barham appeared before the Dearborn City Council last week to object to a street sign honoring Siblani, citing several 2022 quotes that concerned him. Siblani said the blood of martyrs would water Palestine and that terrorists should launch strikes with knives and their bare hands, Barham told the council. The Arabs will lift Palestine to victory, whether from Michigan or the West Bank city of Jenin, according to another quote Barham cited. Everyone should fight with what they have, fight with stones, guns, planes, drones, and rockets, according to the Siblani quote.

One council member stopped Barham and said the street was under county control, and assured him that Siblani was not a violent man. Barham acknowledged the city’s inability to change the sign, but continued with his comments since it was still the town where he lives. Given Siblani’s pro-terror sentiments, the street signs honoring him seem provocative and quite inappropriate, Barham said. The citizen likened it to having a Hamas street or Hezbollah street.

Barham then identified himself as a Christian who wanted to encourage peace over violence. He quoted Jesus’ words in Matthew 26:52, reminding the room that those who live by the sword will die by it. Jesus is called the Prince of Peace, and said blessed are the peacemakers, Barham added.

When he finished Hammoud took the microphone and suggested that Barham close his eyes when passing the sign. The mayor called Barham a hypocrite, a bigot, a racist, and an Islamophobe. Hammoud accused him of previously making cruel comments about Muslims and Islam. Although you live here, you are not welcome here, he continued.

WORLD reached out to Hammoud for comment and did not receive a response on Wednesday morning.