Dearborn mayor Abdullah Hammoud refused to apologise at his first city council meeting since telling local minister Ted Barham he was a racist and “not welcome here”.
Mayor Hammoud did, however, read a prepared statement at the packed meeting and blamed the media for “sensationalizing” his previous clash with local minister Ted Barham, Fox 2 Detroit reports.
“We put into practice the ideal that people of all backgrounds, of all faiths, and of all beliefs can live peacefully and respectfully as neighbors, as classmates, as business owners, and as congregants,” Hammoud said.
He went on: “That is why we have long been mislabeled and targeted, long before the sensationalized headlines of this past week. For decades, people have been intent on dividing and disparaging our city.”
The controversy between Hammoud and Barham began with the honorary renaming of a street sign that was intended as a tribute to Osama Siblani, the publisher of the Arab American News and Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame member.
At the Sept. 9 council meeting, Barham brought up controversial comments that Siblani made in the past regarding Hezbollah and Hamas, praising them as freedom fighters and calling Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah a hero.
“I feel like having that up there is almost like naming a street, Hezbollah Street or Hamas Street. Hezbollah bombed the embassy in Beirut, including many Americans. I just feel it’s quite inappropriate.”
Barham, who said he has previously lived in Lebanon, Pakistan and Israel, objected to the street renaming, which led to Hammoud’s fiery response.
"You’re an Islamophobe. And although you live here, I want you to know as mayor you are not welcome here," Hammoud said at the time. "The day you move out of the city will be the day I launch a parade celebrating the fact that you moved out of the city."
Barham attended the meeting on Tuesday and spoke to both Hammoud and the City council about the Sept. 9th incident.
“The mayor, in a way, cursed me, as was seen around the world,” he said. “I would like to repeat what I said that day to you, Mr. Mayor: ‘God bless you.’”