Mayor of Majority Muslim City Warns White Resident He's 'not welcome' after complaints about Signs Hailing Pro-Hamas Local
The mayor of
a
Michigan city with a large
Muslim population has faced backlash for telling a Christian resident he was 'not welcome' after a tense exchange over a road sign honoring a local who expressed support for Hamas.
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud made the comment after Edward 'Ted' Barham told a City Council meeting that he opposed a road sign being erected at an intersection honoring Lebanese-American journalist Osama Siblani.
Siblani founded the Arab American News, the first bilingual Arab weekly paper in Dearborn. He's previously come under fire for comments sympathetic to
Hamas, calling the Palestinian group 'freedom fighters'.
Barham said the sign was 'provocative' and accused Siblani of being a supporter of Hezbollah and Hamas, which are considered terrorist organizations by the US.
'I feel like having that sign up there is almost like naming a street Hezbollah Street or Hamas Street,' Barham argued.
'Hezbollah bombed the embassy in
Beirut, including many Americans. I just feel it's quite inappropriate'.
'He talks about how the blood of the martyrs irrigates the land of Palestine,' Barham continued. He then quoted Siblani as saying: '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'.

Mayor Abdullah Hammoud issued a scathing response to a resident who complained at a council meeting about a sign honoring Osama Siblani

Osama Siblani was honored with a symbolic road sign for his journalistic efforts, creating the first bilingual Arab weekly paper in Dearborn
He accused Barham of being a 'bigot,' a 'racist,' and an 'Islamaphobe,' adding, 'Although you live here, I want you to know that as mayor, you are not welcome here'.
'And the day you move out of this city, will be the day that I launch a parade celebrating the fact that you moved out of this city, because you are not somebody who believes in coexistence,' he continued.
Mayor Abdullah Hammoud made the comment after a local man said that he opposed a road sign being erected to honor Lebanese-American journalist Osama Siblani.
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