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Last week, a shocking scene unfolded in Dearborn, Michigan. A Christian resident, Edward “Ted” Barham, came before the city council to voice his concerns about new street signs honoring Osama Siblani, a man with a long record of praising terrorist groups like Hezbollah and Hamas.
Instead of being heard, Barham was insulted, shouted down, and ultimately told by Mayor Abdullah Hammoud that although he lives in Dearborn, he is “not welcome” in his own city.
Barham had cited Siblani’s own words, including his glorification of violence: “The blood of the martyrs irrigates the land of Palestine … They will fight with stones, others will fight with guns, others fight with planes, drones, and rockets.” He rightly compared naming intersections after Siblani to naming them “Hezbollah Street” or “Hamas Street.”
Barham ended his remarks not with anger, but with the words of Christ: “Blessed are the peacemakers.”
For that, he was called a bigot, a racist, and an Islamophobe by his own mayor. Hammoud went further, sneering: “The day you move out of the city will be the day that I launch a parade celebrating the fact that you moved out.”
This incident raises serious questions.
Why are Wayne County and Dearborn officials celebrating a man who has openly praised terrorists? Why is a Christian citizen silenced, smeared, and told he is unwelcome for daring to call out the truth?
The issue goes beyond street names. It strikes at the heart of whether America will remain a nation that honors truth, free speech, and religious liberty — or one where those values are sacrificed on the altar of political correctness and appeasement. What happened in Dearborn is not just offensive. It is dangerous. When leaders honor those who support terrorist groups and vilify citizens who speak out, they send a clear message: terrorist sympathizers are welcome, but Christians are not.