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Playing favorites: Investigation shows how Dearborn’s Muslim leaders go hostile on Christians, Jews

Bob Unruh
President Obama speaks at White House Iftar dinner while he was in office (White House photo)

The Muslim mayor of Dearborn, Michigan recently put his city in an unwelcome spotlight when he told a Christian resident and taxpayer, who was objecting to promotions of violence, to go away.

Literally, Mayor Abdullah H. Hammoud scolded resident Edward “Ted” Barham, telling him, “Although you live here, you are not welcome here.”

The dispute had arisen over the naming of streets in honor of a business operator who publicly has promoted Hezbollah and Hamas terrorism.

Now an investigation by the Federalist has revealed that the Muslim leaders of the Muslim-influenced city are making it a “hostile place” for Christians and Jews.

Jewish leaders already call the city “America’s Jihad Capital” and it is under the dominating influence of Islam.

The Federalist said Dearborn “has been extremely accommodating to Muslims, but not so much to minority Christians and Jews — particularly when it comes to the city’s involvement in celebrating religious holidays.”

Civil rights lawyers Robert J. Muise and David Yerushalmi have written to the city about concerns over its discrimination, and they told Hammoud, “The bottom line is that the City of Dearborn has become a hostile place for Christians and Jews.

City lawyer Jeremy Romer also was copied on the letter, and he “should be familiar with Muise and Yerushalmi,” because they already have won high-profile cases and huge judgments against Dearborn for religious rights discrimination.

The Federalist added, “For now, the attorneys’ American Freedom Law Center, a nonprofit Judeo-Christian law firm ‘Fighting for Faith & Freedom,’ is reminding the mayor and the city that the Arab-majority city can’t play favorites with religious displays.”

“While all of the residents of the City do not share the same faith, they do share the same rights guaranteed under the United States Constitution,” the attorneys’ letter warned.

The legal team has documented multiple instances where city officials, specifically Hammoud, have publicly exhibited a “preference” for Islam over any other faith.

Banners have been flown in the city for weeks for Ramadan, but the city refused to present any religious displays for Christian or Jewish holidays other than “secular’ components, the Federalist reported.

“Documents obtained by The Federalist show taxpayers paid thousands of dollars for the Ramadan displays and other items. One double-sided banner cost $1,512. The city paid $825 for another sign, according to city invoices. A Dec. 26 email from Jonathan Golich of Dearborn’s Parks and Recreation Department notes festive lights and displays would be left up ‘through Ramadan,’” the report said.

And city emails include the crescent moon design, honored by Muslims, and a greeting, “Ramadan Kareem’ (Generous Ramadan) Downtown Dearborn,” in Arabic and English.

Then there are the fundraising drives by the city police and fire departments that sold shirts showing Islamic religious messages.

“They did not provide similar opportunities for Christians and Jews to purchase clothing ‘with messages appropriate to their faith traditions,’” the attorneys told Hammoud.

The recent pro-Islam scandal was sparked by Hammoud’s attack on a taxpayer.

Barham had objected to renaming some intersections in Dearborn after Osama Siblani, Arab American News publisher who has promoted Hezbollah and Hamas, both Middle East organizations that have inflicted death, destruction and terror on Americans.

Mayor Abdullah H. Hammoud of Dearborn, Michigan (Video screenshot)
Mayor Abdullah H. Hammoud of Dearborn, Michigan

Hammoud issued a dangerous suggestion for Barham to not see the signs.

“The best suggestion I have for you is to not drive on Warren Avenue or 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 his community,” Hammoud claimed.

He then turned to a personal attack on his city’s resident, accusing Barham of being “a bigot, and you are racist, and you’re an Islamophobe. 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.”

Barham had explained Siblani is “a promoter of Hezbollah and Hamas. … 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.”

WND also reported only days ago that adjacent Dearborn Heights was forced into an embarrassing backtrack when officials announced a badge for police officers that said “Dearborn Heights Police” in Arabic.

The scandal even caught the attention of the late Charlie Kirk, co-founder of Turning Point USA, who was assassinated a week ago at a free speech event in Utah.

After an interval of only two days, Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi went to social media to backtrack.

“On Wednesday, September 3rd, information was disseminated from the Dearborn Heights Police Department regarding a digital mock-up of the DHPD patch bearing the department name translated in Arabic script,” his Facebook post said. “The design mock-up idea showed the words ‘Dearborn Heights Police’ in Arabic and was said to be optional. The patch effort was an internal discussion among some within the police department which was not put forth for consensus or further review.”

In their new letter, Muise and Yerushalmi call out Hammoud directly, the Federalist said, because he “made an invitation as the Mayor on your government email to celebrate an Iftar meal for Ramadan, but made no similar outreach efforts to celebrate a Passover or Easter.”

The letter charges the city “has a long history of discriminating against individuals, specifically Christians, who do not share the Islamic faith, and this has often resulted in litigation” that the city has lost.

In fact, in addition to Dearborn taxpayers footing the bills for the discrimination by officials, the city ultimately ended its annual Arab International Festival because of legal challenges.

Back in 2013, the city apologized to four Christian missionaries after police arrested and detained them for praying and preaching. Taxpayers footed the $300,000 damages paid.

The report noted Hammoud had “unloaded” on Barham. When the resident said, “I just want to say, God bless you, mayor,” the mayor lashed out with, “You also say that I’m an apostate. I’m going to hell. … If I were you, I would stay silent.”

As recently as this week, Hammoud was unapologetic over his bias against Christians and Jews.

He said, “Across every background, every faith, every identity, we have built a city that is not only strong but truly an example for the rest of this nation. And as you’ve heard tonight, those who call Dearborn home know who we are, a city that welcomes and embraces everyone. It is our hope that one day the unity you actually find in Dearborn amongst its residents, is the same unity and coexistence that you see across our entire nation. That is an America we all can pray for.”

U.S. Muslim mayor to Christian citizen: You are not welcome here. Move away

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This article was originally published by the WND News Center.

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