The Muslim mayor of Dearborn, Michigan, told a Christian resident that he is “not welcome” in the city.
The comments came after the man publicly questioned why Dearborn was honoring a journalist with a long history of praising Hezbollah, a U.S.-designated Islamic terrorist group.
The confrontation occurred at a Dearborn city council meeting when local Christian Ted Barham voiced his opposition to renaming Warren Avenue after Arab American journalist Osama Siblani.
Siblani is the publisher of The Arab American News.
Barham cited Siblani’s documented history of glorifying Hezbollah.
He has also called for the destruction of Israel.
Rather than addressing the substance of the concerns, Mayor Abdullah Hammoud delivered a blunt rebuke:
“Although you live here, I want you to know as mayor, you are not welcome here,” Hammoud told Barham.
The mayor added that the day Barham leaves Dearborn will be celebrated with a “parade.”
WATCH:
Hezbollah Ties And Anti-Israel Rhetoric
Siblani, who immigrated to the U.S. in 1976, has a decades-long record of anti-Israel statements.
According to the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), Siblani has repeatedly glorified Hezbollah.
In 2024, Siblani told a rally filled with chants of “death to Israel” that Hezbollah would “take care of the job.”
MEMRI has further documented his boasts about political influence in Washington.
In November 2023, Siblani declared Muslims were “on the road to the White House” and that Washington was full of “bloodthirsty killers” who must be “cleaned out.”
In May 2024, he stated:
“We are on the road to the White House, to Congress, to the decision-making everywhere in the United States.”
Despite this record, Siblani has been celebrated by local officials, including Hammoud, who honored him at the recent street renaming ceremony.
Targeting A Christian Opponent
Barham, meanwhile, was smeared as an “Islamophobe” by Hammoud after raising his objections.
The mayor cited a 2019 YouTube video as evidence of Barham’s supposed “bigotry.”
However, the Detroit Free Press reviewed the video and found no derogatory remarks about Islam.
Instead, the footage showed Barham singing a Christmas carol outside a mosque and later engaging in respectful theological discussions with Muslim students.
Silence From Democrats
Michigan Democrats, including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer — widely rumored to be preparing a 2028 presidential run — and Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI), have remained silent on the controversy.
Neither has commented on Hammoud’s attack against a Christian constituent nor on the city’s decision to honor a terrorist sympathizer.
Dearborn, which now has a majority-Arab population, has become a flashpoint in debates over radical politics, cultural tensions, and the growing political influence of Islamist activists in the U.S.
READ MORE – Michigan Police Department Unveils New ‘Optional Patch’ Featuring Arabic Text
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