Michigan City of Dearborn Defends Itself Against Federal Lawsuit Over Holiday Observances
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Dearborn, Michigan, has responded to a federal lawsuit accusing city officials of favoring Muslim holidays over Christian and Jewish celebrations, stating the municipality serves all residents fairly.
The city of Dearborn, Michigan, has issued a public defense following a federal lawsuit that accuses municipal leaders of favoring Muslim holidays while ignoring the religious observances of other faiths. The legal action, filed on a Thursday, names the Detroit suburb and its mayor, bringing renewed attention to tensions within the community.
The lawsuit was filed by Margot Cleveland, a journalist for The Federalist, against the city and Democratic Mayor Abdullah Hammoud. According to the complaint, the municipal government has spent thousands of dollars of public funds to celebrate Muslim holidays while allegedly failing to provide similar public recognition for Christian and Jewish holidays.
In a statement released on a Saturday, a city spokesperson defended Dearborn's track record and attributed the criticism to the area's visible demographics. The city stated that it has a longstanding commitment to serving all residents fairly and equitably, regardless of their background or faith.
The response asserted that the city has increasingly come under attack precisely because of its diversity and welcoming nature. Dearborn officials emphasized that these external pressures will not alter the community's identity and pledged that the city will continue upholding the rights and dignity of every resident to ensure equal protection under the law.
The federal lawsuit outlines specific financial allocations by the municipality. It states that the city spent $1,500 on Ramadan banners and $5,000 on a crescent-moon display in Peace Park, alongside police department sales of Ramadan-themed shirts featuring the official department emblem. The complaint contends that comparable public displays were not established to mark Christian holidays like Easter or Jewish holidays like Passover.
Furthermore, the lawsuit alleges that when Cleveland contacted officials to request that other religious holidays receive similar recognition, her inquiries were repeatedly ignored. The legal filing seeks unspecified financial damages and asks a federal judge to rule that the city violated constitutional provisions, specifically requesting an order requiring compliance with the First and Fourteenth Amendments.
The current lawsuit also references past controversies in the municipality, including a September 2025 clash at a City Council meeting between Mayor Hammoud and local pastor Ted Barham. During that meeting, Barham criticized the city for naming a street after Osama Siblani, comparing it unfavorably to foreign organizations. That council meeting exchange subsequently drew conservative influencers to a November rally in Dearborn and sparked wider media coverage.
Mayor Hammoud previously addressed related criticisms in an interview with The Guardian published in November, stating that critics had misconstrued his frustration with specific individuals as hostility toward an entire faith. He maintained at the time that Dearborn remains a welcoming home for Christians, Jews, and people of all backgrounds.
As the legal proceedings move forward, the city maintains its position that it operates equitably and serves its population of more than 100,000 residents—which is majority Arab American—without religious bias.
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