The Democratic mayor of Dearborn, Mich., Abdullah Hammoud, is now reportedly facing a firestorm after publicly telling a Christian resident, “you are not welcome” in the city, following objections to renaming an intersection for an Arab American journalist with a history of praising terrorist groups.
The exchange occurred during a Sept. 9 Dearborn City Council meeting, when Edward “Ted” Barham, a longtime resident, voiced concerns about the city honoring Osama Siblani, publisher of The Arab American News. “It’s like having a street named ‘Hezbollah Street or Hamas Street,’” Barham said, calling the move “inappropriate.”
Hammoud, the city’s first Muslim mayor and an outspoken critic of Israel, immediately lashed out.
He accused Barham of racism and Islamophobia and told him he should avoid the renamed streets or “close your eyes while you’re doing it.” Then, in remarks that quickly went viral, Hammoud declared, “Although you live here, I want you to know as mayor, you are not welcome here. And the day you move out of the city will be the day that I launch a parade celebrating the fact that you moved out of this city.”
The mayor went further, accusing Barham of “posting videos on YouTube, standing in front of my mosque, saying the cruelest of things about Muslims, about the religion of Islam.”
Siblani, the man at the center of the controversy, has for decades expressed support for groups Washington has formally designated as terrorist organizations. “Mr. [George W.] Bush believes Hezbollah, Hamas and other Palestinian factions are terrorists, but we believe they are freedom fighters,” Siblani told The Washington Post in 2003.
As recently as 2022, Siblani declared, “We are the Arabs that are going to lift Palestinians all the way to victory. Whether we are in Michigan, and whether we are in Jenin. Believe me. Everyone should fight within his means. They will fight with stones. Others will fight with guns. Others will fight with planes, drones. And others will fight with rockets. And others will fight in their voice, and the others will fight with their hands and say free, free Palestine!” according to the Anti-Defamation League.
Despite the outcry, the street naming was not technically under Dearborn’s jurisdiction. Wayne County approved the dedication, though it was supported by local officials. FOX 2 Detroit reported that this is the second intersection in Dearborn to be renamed in Siblani’s honor.
Hammoud, elected in 2021 to lead the Arab-majority city, has built a national profile as a vocal activist on Middle East issues. He has accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza, placing himself squarely in the camp of progressive Democrats critical of one of America’s allies in the region.
The episode has reignited debate about whether public officials should honor figures who openly champion groups responsible for terrorism and violence.
For many residents, Hammoud’s decision to tell a Christian constituent that he was “not welcome” raises troubling questions about free speech, civic leadership, and the direction of one of America’s most prominent Arab American communities.
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