Dearborn, Michigan is the first major United States City with a majority-Arab population. Not surprisingly, it has an Arab Muslim Mayor: Abdullah H. Hammoud.
I thought you might be interested in an exchange during last week’s City Council meeting, between Mayor Hammoud and one Ted Barham, a self-professed Christian.
From Jasmine Baehr’s article for Fox News:
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.
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.”
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.
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.”
There you have it. A citizen objects to the naming of intersections after someone who he quotes as being supportive of those who want to obliterate Israel…and is told by the Mayor of the city that he’s not welcome there. And if you want fuller detail on this incident, read Niraj Warikoo’s article for the Detroit Free Press.
All I ask is that you think about what was said; what it means and what it implies.
Oh, one other thing: do you need me to tell you Mayor Hammoud is a Democrat?
