On September 9, Wayne County, Michigan, placed street signs on Warren Avenue in Dearborn honoring Arab American News publisher Osama Siblani. The move quickly sparked outrage from local Christian minister Edward “Ted” Barham, who objected on the grounds that Siblani has openly defended Hamas and Hezbollah. Instead of addressing the concern, Dearborn’s mayor branded Barham a “bigot” and declared he was “not welcome” in the city.
The truth is simple: it appears that in parts of America, it is now acceptable to honor men who have defended designated terrorist organizations.
Background: The Man Behind the Street Sign
Osama Siblani, publisher of Arab American News, has a long history of defending groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. In 2024, Siblani was quoted saying that Hezbollah would “take care of the job” — meaning the destruction of Israel. He has also publicly stated, “Hamas is not a terrorist organization,” echoing rhetoric that denies the reality of Hamas’s mass killings and attacks on civilians.
Despite this record, Wayne County moved forward with the symbolic renaming of Warren Avenue in his honor. Council members clarified the decision was county-driven, not city-led, but it was celebrated publicly in Dearborn.
Opposition Equals Bigotry
When Edward Barham voiced concern at a council meeting, Mayor Abdullah Hammoud accused him of being an Islamophobe. Hammoud told Barham to “close his eyes while driving down Warren Avenue” and even vowed to throw a parade the day Barham left Dearborn. Yahoo News reported Hammoud labeling Barham a bigot — an attempt to dismiss his concerns as hate rather than legitimate opposition to honoring a terror apologist.
The smear rests on a false claim: that anyone who challenges radicalism or terrorism in Muslim communities is automatically attacking Islam itself.
The Truth: Concern About Terror, Not Religion
Barham’s objection had nothing to do with Islam as a religion. His words were about the danger of elevating a man who praises groups responsible for killing Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike. At the council meeting, Barham warned that honoring Siblani was like putting up street signs called “Hezbollah Street” or “Hamas Avenue.”
Fox News, citing MEMRI, recorded Siblani defending Hamas and praising Hezbollah. The Detroit Free Press, reviewing an old resurfaced video of Barham, found no racist remarks — only Barham singing a Christmas carol and engaging with Muslims in public dialogue. The attempt to brand him as hateful collapsed under scrutiny.
Instead of grappling with the substance of Barham’s concern, Hammoud chose intimidation and mockery. That is not coexistence. It is silencing dissent and rewarding extremism.
Wider Warning: First the Saturday People, Then the Sunday People
This episode highlights a growing problem: radical Islamic sympathizers being legitimized in America while critics are smeared into silence. As Christians United for Israel (CUFI) UK has long warned, “First the Saturday people, then the Sunday people.” Radical Islam targets Jews first, but Christians and the broader West are next.
The late Charlie Kirk, on his personal twitter put it bluntly just days before his assassination: “Islam is the sword the left is using to slit the throat of America.” His warning underscores the dangerous alliance between extremist ideologies and progressive politics — an alliance now on display in Dearborn.
Florida Rep. Randy Fine also weighed in: “Muslims are now telling Americans to get out of their own cities. This isn’t some Free Palestine protestor, this is the Mayor of Dearborn, Michigan.”
This is not a story about Islamophobia. It is about whether American cities will normalize terror sympathizers and punish those who speak against them. Ted Barham raised a legitimate concern about honoring a man who has defended Hezbollah and Hamas. For that, he was told to leave his own city. That should alarm every American — Jew, Christian, and Muslim alike, who opposes terrorism.
