Dearborn mayor tells Christian ‘you are not welcome here’ at meeting

At a Dearborn City Council meeting last week, Mayor Abdullah H. Hammoud told local resident Edward “Ted” Barham, a Christian, that he was “not welcome” in the city after Barham raised concerns about new street signs honoring Arab American News publisher Osama Siblani.

FOX 2 Detroit reported that the signs honoring Siblani were placed at intersections on Warren Avenue by Wayne County, not the City of Dearborn. But the mayor escalated the debate, telling Barham, “Although you live here, you are not welcome here.”

Barham introduced himself as “Ted Barham, Dearborn resident,” and objected to two intersections being renamed after Siblani.

He said, “He’s a promoter of Hezbollah and Hamas” before quoting past remarks from Siblani, including, “He talks about how the blood of the martyrs irrigates the land of Palestine … whether we are in Michigan and whether we are in Yemen. 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.” 

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Barham compared the signs to naming a road “Hezbollah Street or Hamas Street,” calling them “provocative” and stressing that as a Christian, he wanted to encourage peace. He closed by quoting Jesus: “Blessed are the peacemakers.”

Council members interjected, warning Barham against “personal attacks” and reminding him that the city had no control over the county’s decision. 

One clarified, “The sign that was placed on Warren Avenue which is a County road and that was done by the Wayne County Executive.” But Barham maintained that the issue mattered to Dearborn residents because the signs stood in their city.

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Mayor Hammoud responded with remarks that shocked many in attendance. “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 went further, accusing Barham of being “a bigot, and you are racist, and you’re an Islamophobe,” before declaring: “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 controversy stems from Wayne County’s decision to honor Siblani with street signs in August. 

FOX 2 Detroit reported the county commission approved the designation, not the city council. Hammoud and other local officials attended a ceremony celebrating the unveiling.

Fox News Digital reached out to Mayor Hammoud’s office and Siblani for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication. Efforts to reach Ted Barham by phone were also unsuccessful.

Dearborn, the city with America’s highest-percentage Muslim population, has long navigated debate over cultural and political identity. For many average residents, the moment captured in City Hall begged the question of whether elected officials are willing to listen to all voices or only those they choose to celebrate.