Swing state mayor sued as citys Muslim holiday displays ignite religious-favoritism fight

A federal lawsuit filed Thursday alleges the city of Dearborn spent thousands of taxpayer dollars on public displays celebrating Muslim holidays while ignoring a Christian residents repeated requests for Easter and Passover recognition.

Margot Cleveland, a journalist with The Federalist, filed a civil rights lawsuit with the American Freedom Law Center (AFLC) against the city of Dearborn and Democratic Mayor Abdullah Hammoud, alleging the city violated her First and Fourteenth Amendment rights, including protections involving religious establishment, free speech and equal protection.

"The City of Dearborn spent taxpayer money to light up its streets and parks for Ramadan while stonewalling a resident who simply asked that Easter, Passover, and other Christian and Jewish holy days be treated the same way," Robert J. Muise, AFLC co-founder and senior counsel, said in a statement. "That is a straightforward Establishment Clause violation, and the retaliation our client faced for speaking up about it only compounds the constitutional harm."

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Dearborn is home to one of the largest Arab American communities in the country. The city had 109,976 residents in the 2020 Census, and 54.5% reported Middle Eastern or North African ancestry. Michigan Avenue, the citys main thoroughfare, is lined with businesses featuring Arabic-script signs and Middle Eastern cuisine. There are ten mosques within the city limits, according to an online directory.

Hammoud was first elected mayor in November 2021, becoming the first Muslim and Arab American to lead the city of Dearborn.

"What makes this case especially troubling is that City officials, up to and including the Mayor, responded to a citizens respectful request for equal treatment with silence, stonewalling, and outright hostility — including the Mayors own words telling a Christian resident he is not welcome in his own city," David Yerushalmi, an attorney on the case, said. "Our client is simply asking the City to treat Christians and Jews as equal citizens."

Lawyers for Cleveland pointed to a September exchange between Hammoud and Christian pastor Ted Barham as evidence of what they allege is the citys hostility toward Christians. Barham had raised concerns during a City Council meeting over the citys decision to rename a street after Usama Siblani, publisher of The Arab American News, who has made statements expressing support for Hezbollah.

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In the exchange, Hammoud called Barham a "bigot" and an "Islamaophobe."

"And although you live here, I want you to know as mayor, you are not welcome here," Hammoud told the Christian pastor. "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 . . . because you are not somebody who believes in coexistence."

But Clevelands lawsuit alleges that