A public interest law firm is taking the city of Dearborn, Michigan, to court over allegations that officials have spent taxpayer money promoting Islam while refusing to extend the same recognition to Christian and Jewish holidays.
The American Freedom Law Center filed the lawsuit Thursday on behalf of Dearborn resident and Federalist Senior Legal Correspondent Margot Cleveland, claiming the city has violated the U.S. Constitution’s establishment clause and civil rights laws by showing favoritism toward one religion over others.
According to the complaint, Dearborn has used public funds for years to celebrate Islamic holidays while ignoring requests to give equal treatment to Christianity and Judaism. The city allegedly paid for banners on public property celebrating Ramadan, installed crescent lights on city light poles, erected a large lighted crescent moon in a public park, and even produced police department T-shirts commemorating the Islamic holy month.
The lawsuit says Cleveland and AFLC made repeated attempts to resolve the matter peacefully, sending emails and speaking at city council meetings to request equal treatment for all faiths. City officials refused to respond. Worse, the complaint alleges Mayor Abdullah Hammoud directed the city attorney to instruct council members not to reply.
This isn’t the first time Hammoud has drawn criticism for his treatment of Christians in the majority-Muslim city. Last year, the mayor made international headlines after verbally attacking a Christian pastor who objected to renaming a Dearborn street after Osama Siblani, a longtime public supporter of Hezbollah and Hamas. Both organizations are designated as terrorist groups by the U.S. government and have killed Americans.
“Although you live here, I want you to know as mayor, you are not welcome here,” Hammoud told Pastor Ted Barham at a public meeting, according to video footage. “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 the city.”
Hammoud never apologized. He later attended a ceremony celebrating the street’s renaming after Siblani, who serves as editor-in-chief of the Dearborn-based Arab American News.
Siblani himself has made inflammatory statements supporting violence. In 2024, he declared, “We are the Arabs that are going to lift Palestinians all the way to victory, whether we are in Michigan, and whether we are in Jenin. Believe me, everyone should fight within his means. They will fight with stones. Others will fight with guns. Others will fight with planes, drones. And others will fight with rockets.”
The complaint also notes connections between Hammoud and Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, a fellow Muslim who endorsed Hammoud’s mayoral campaign in 2021. Hammoud has supported and donated to El-Sayed’s campaign. El-Sayed has embraced prominent supporters of Islamist terrorism, according to the lawsuit.
