Dearborn Defends Diversity Amid Lawsuit Alleging Favoritism of Muslim Holidays

The city of Dearborn, Michigan, has responded to a federal lawsuit that accuses it and its mayor of favoring Muslim holidays over those of other faiths. In a statement released Saturday, a city spokesperson attributed the criticisms to Dearborn's diversity and "welcoming nature."

The lawsuit, filed Thursday by journalist Margot Cleveland, alleges that Dearborn has spent thousands of public dollars to celebrate Muslim holidays while ignoring Christian and Jewish observances. It claims the city has long been a "hostile place for Christians and Jews" and that Mayor Abdullah Hammoud has escalated this hostility, signaling that these groups are unwelcome and treated as "second-class citizens."

Dearborn's statement asserted a "longstanding commitment to serving all residents fairly and equitably, regardless of faith or background." The city added, "Our city has increasingly come under attack precisely because of its welcoming nature and the diversity of the people who proudly call Dearborn home." The statement concluded, "Dearborn will continue to uphold the rights and dignity of every resident and remain a city where everyone is treated with fairness, respect, and equal protection under the law."

The lawsuit cites specific instances of alleged favoritism, including $1,500 spent on Ramadan banners and $5,000 on a crescent-moon symbol in its Peace Park last year. The city's police department also reportedly sold Ramadan-themed shirts bearing the official department emblem. Conversely, the suit claims the city failed to similarly acknowledge the Christian holiday of Easter and the Jewish holiday of Passover.

According to the lawsuit, Cleveland's complaints about honoring other religious holidays were repeatedly ignored. The legal filing also references a confrontation in September 2025 between Mayor Hammoud and Pastor Ted Barham at a City Council meeting. Barham had criticized the city for naming a street after Osama Siblani, whom the lawsuit identifies as having supported organizations designated as terrorist by the U.S. government. Barham likened the naming to establishing "Hezbollah Street or Hamas Street."

Media coverage of the City Council clash reportedly led to a rally in Dearborn in November attended by conservative influencers. In a November interview with The Guardian, Mayor Hammoud stated that his words were misinterpreted and that his frustration was with an individual "bad faith actor," not an entire faith. He reiterated that Dearborn is a place where "everyone is welcome—Christian or Jew or whatever your background."

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and asks a judge to declare that the city has violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution, ordering compliance with these amendments.