Dearborn stories

Sep 18, 2026

Dearborn, Michigan sued over alleged favoritism toward Muslim holidays in public displays

A federal lawsuit filed Thursday accuses the city of Dearborn, Michigan and its mayor of spending thousands of taxpayer dollars on public displays celebrating Muslim holidays while ignoring Christian and Jewish holidays. The city defended itself, citing its diversity and welcoming nature.

Sep 18, 20264 sources

Top claims

▪A federal civil rights lawsuit filed by journalist Margot Cleveland against the city of Dearborn and Mayor Abdullah Hammoud points to a September 2025 City Council meeting where Mayor Abdullah Hammoud told Christian pastor Ted Barham that he was not welcome in Dearborn and that Hammoud would stage a parade when Barham left
▪The lawsuit filed by Margot Cleveland seeks unspecified damages and asks a federal judge to find that the city of Dearborn violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution.
▪A federal civil rights lawsuit filed by journalist Margot Cleveland against the city of Dearborn and Mayor Abdullah Hammoud alleges that in April 2026, Margot Cleveland was told she could attend a community meeting as a resident but not as a journalist, and that Mayor Abdullah Hammoud made snide comments about residents criticizing the city on social media