Muslim mayor says Christian resident 'not welcome here' for speaking out against terror supporter
Michigan’s Dearborn Mayor Abdullah H. Hammoud last week told a Christian resident he is “not welcome” in the city after the man protested the renaming of intersections after an Islamic terror supporter.
Fox News reports that signs honoring Osama Siblani, publisher of The Arab-American News, have been placed at intersections in Wayne County. At an October 2024 rally, Siblani praised former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah as a “great leader” and called for the expulsion of Israeli Jews to Poland. Under Nasrallah, Hezbollah killed hundreds of Americans, Europeans, and Israelis in terror attacks.
At a September 9th Dearborn City Council meeting, Edward "Ted" Barham spoke out against the decision to rename intersections after Siblani. Barham said it was tantamount to naming a street "Hezbollah Street or Hamas Street," noting that Siblani is "a promoter of Hezbollah and Hamas."
“Hezbollah bombed the embassy in Beirut and killed many Americans. I just feel it’s quite inappropriate,” said Barham during his public comment.
"[Siblani] talks about how the blood of the martyrs irrigates the land of Palestine … ‘whether we are in Michigan and whether we are in Yemen,’” continued Barham, quoting Siblani. “‘Believe me, everyone should fight within his means. They will fight with stones, others will fight with guns, others fight with planes, drones, and rockets.’"
Barham emphasized that as a Christian, he wants to promote peace rather than war. "Blessed are the peacemakers,” he said.
Mayor Hammoud first responded by defending Siblani.
"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," Hammoud said.
He then accused Barham of being a “bigot,” a “racist,” and an “Islamophobe,” and promised to hold a parade when he leaves the city.
"Although you live here, I want you to know as mayor, you are not welcome here,” said Hammoud. “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."
America’s first police patch in Arabic
Roughly 40% of Dearborn’s residents are Muslim, making it the largest Muslim population of any American city.
Earlier this month, the Dearborn Heights Police Department posted a photo of a police patch that read “Dearborn Heights Police” in English and Arabic.
The post, which was published on September 3rd, promoted the patch as a way to “celebrate” diversity. It would be the first police patch in the nation to feature Arabic.
"The Dearborn Heights Police Department is proud to share a new optional patch that our officers may wear as part of their uniform," the department wrote in the now-deleted Facebook post. "This patch was created by Officer Emily Murdoch, who designed it to reflect and honor the diversity of our community - especially the many residents of Arabic descent who call Dearborn Heights home. By incorporating Arabic script alongside English, this patch represents unity, respect, and our shared commitment to service. We are proud of Officer Murdoch's creativity and dedication in helping our department better represent the people we serve."
Two days later, the police department deleted the post due to public backlash. Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi said "the patch effort was an internal discussion among some within the police department, which was not put forth for consensus or further review.” Bazzi said the patch was a digital mockup and "should NOT have been presented as an official prototype."
Charlie Kirk: ‘When you get conquered, you get a new language’
According to the Dearborn Heights Police Officers Association (DHPOA), Murdoch originally presented the patch mockup to Police Chief Ahmed Haidar as a way for police officers to commemorate the Islamic month of Ramadan.
“Instead of using the patch for its intended purpose, Chief Haidar unilaterally distributed it to the news media and implemented it as an optional patch for officers to wear year-round,” said the DHPOA in a statement. “This decision made many officers feel segregated within the department. The DHPOA Executive Board raised concerns with Chief Haidar about the potential negative repercussions, but those concerns were dismissed and refuted.”
The news drew backlash from the Right, most notably from Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL).
"They said their goal was to bring Sharia law to America. You should’ve believed them. Pray for Michigan," Fine wrote on X.
The late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk said at the time, “Thanks to chain migration, Muslims are now a majority in Michigan's Dearborn Heights (named after a Revolutionary War general). Now, local police have rolled out the country’s first-ever police badge with Arabic script. When you get conquered, you get a new language.”
