Michigan’s Dearborn defends itself against accusations it prioritized Muslim holidays over other faiths

DEARBORN, Michigan — The city of Dearborn responds to a lawsuit accusing it of celebrating Muslim holidays and ignoring religious holidays of other faiths by blaming attacks against it on its diversity and “welcoming nature.”

A statement from the Detroit suburb, issued by a spokesperson, comes in response to a lawsuit on Thursday that accused the city and its mayor of spending thousands of dollars to celebrate Muslim holidays while ignoring Christian and Jewish holidays.

The lawsuit in federal court revived complaints about city government that arose a year ago after the Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud told Ted Barham, a local pastor, that he was not welcome in the city and that he would stage a parade when he left.

The lawsuit by Margot Cleveland, a journalist for The Federalist, accused the city and its mayor, a Democrat, of favoring the Muslim faith over other religious beliefs in a city with a population of over 100,000 people that is majority Arab American.

It said the city for too long “has been a hostile place for Christians and Jews.”

And it added that “Hammoud has taken this hostility to the next level, openly conveying the message that Christians and Jews are not welcome in the city and are, indeed, second-class citizens.”

In its statement, the city responds by saying it “has a longstanding commitment to serving all residents fairly and equitably, regardless of faith or background.

“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 says.

It adds: “That will not change who we are. 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 sought unspecified damages and asked a judge to find that the city had violated the Constitution and order it to comply with the First Amendment and the Fourteenth Amendment.