At a recent Dearborn City Council meeting, Michigan resident Edward Barham, a practicing Christian, expressed concerns about new street signs honoring The Arab-American News publisher Osama Siblani.
According to Fox News:
He said, "He’s a promoter of Hezbollah and Hamas" before quoting past remarks from Siblani, including, "He talks about how the blood of the martyrs irrigates the land of Palestine … whether we are in Michigan and whether we are in Yemen. Believe me, everyone should fight within his means. They will fight with stones, others will fight with guns, others fight with planes, drones, and rockets."
Barham, who goes by “Ted,” simply introduced himself and stated his objections.
That seems valid, for starters.
Barham called the signs named after the man "provocative" and stressed that, as a Christian, he wanted to encourage peace. Council members then reportedly interjected, warning Barham against "personal attacks.” Of course they did.
One council member noted that the signs were placed on Warren Avenue, which is in Wayne County, by the Wayne County Executive, but Barham explained that the issue mattered to Dearborn residents because the signs stood in their city.
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah H. Hammoud then said of Barham: "The best suggestion I have for you is to not drive on Warren Avenue or to close your eyes while you’re doing it. His name is up there and I spoke at a ceremony celebrating it because he’s done a lot for this community.”
The mayor tells a resident to close his eyes while driving?
Incredibly, Mayor Hammoud then told Barham that he was "a bigot,” adding, “and you are racist, and you’re an Islamophobe," before declaring: "Although you live here, I want you to know as mayor, you are not welcome here. 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 this city.”
It can’t be made any clearer than that as to where we’re headed if we keep tolerating — and celebrating — everyone but ourselves.
So, where Muslims are now prevalent, those of us who were born here and still live here are not welcome here?!
Is this a hostile takeover or an invasion? A tip: Sharia Law is utterly incompatible with a free democratic republic, as are certain other tenets from the Quran.
Nevertheless, someone should send Mayor Hammoud a peace offering. Perhaps a basket containing a honey-baked ham and a six-pack of Budweiser. Would that not be a touching gesture?
Surely we can all just get along.
Allahu Akbar. Right?
Image: Screen shot from Fox 2 Detroit video, via YouTube