Christian minister won’t respond with hate after Dearborn mayor confrontation

Christian Minister Edward “Ted” Barham says that he would not respond with hatred after the mayor of Dearborn, Abdullah Hammoud, told him that he was “welcome” during a stormy exchange of the municipal council on a controversial honorary street panel which had become viral.

In a new interview with Fox News Digital, Barham said that the moment has only strengthened his determination to express himself from freedom of expression and freedom of faith.

“I did not respond to the mayor with hatred. I said, that God bless you,” said Barham, adding that he takes the command of Jesus seriously to “love your enemies, bless those who curse you”. He said that the incident was not isolated, pointing to previous clashes with city officials on his public prosecutor.

Barham opposed the meeting of the Council of September 9 to the street signaling signs in honor of the controversial publisher of the new American Arab Osama Siblani.

The Muslim mayor of Dearborn told Christian that he is not “welcome” in the debate on the honor of the pro-terror Arabic chief

Edward “TED” Barham addresses the municipal council of Dearborn in Dearborn, Michigan, September 9, 2025. (City of Dearborn)

He read in a Siblani speech in 2022 who said: “We are the Arabs who will lift the Palestinians until victory, that we are in Michigan and if we are in Jenin. Believe me, everyone should fight under his means. They will fight with stones, others will fight with firearms, others will fight with plans, drones and rockets. Barham told council members: “It seems that it could encourage violence in Michigan.”

Siblani has a long record of controversial remarks. In 2003, he told the Washington Post: “Mr. Bush thinks that Hezbollah, Hamas and other Palestinian factions are terrorists, but we think they are freedom fighters.”

In 2006, he told the Chicago Tribune that “if the FBI wanted to come after those who support the resistance made by Hezbollah, then they would better bring a fleet of bus. Me, for my part, I would be ready to go to prison.” During a Dearborn rally in September 2024, he congratulated the head of Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah as a “hero” while the crowd applauded.

Whitmer silent on the Muslim mayor telling the resident that he is not “welcome” for the slam on the terrorist sympathizer

The mayor of Dearborn Abdullah Hammoud speaks at a meeting of the municipal council in Dearborn, Michigan, September 9, 2025. (City of Dearborn)

Barham told Fox News Digital, his own background gives him a perspective. He was born in Africa, lived in Pakistan, Lebanon and Israel, and was minister for years in England. He produced a Christian program in Arabic language and has qualifications graduated in biblical languages ​​and theology of the University of Toronto, the University of Oxford and other schools. “I really like to live in this city,” said Barham about Dearborn, sharing that many of his friends are Muslims or formerly Muslims.

“I think it is a wonderful thing that there are so many Muslims in Western countries,” he said. “I encourage American Christians to make the message of Christ and his love and his forgiveness and to love his very attractive enemies for their Muslim friends and neighbors.”

Barham also underlined a recent initiative in Dearborn where his group tested a Christian call for prayer in Arabic in public spaces to execute those disseminated by mosques, specifically citing John 3:16.

New York City, United States-June 6: Muslims of Long Island City, Queens are starting to celebrate Eid Al-Adha with Eid Salah prayer on Friday June 6, 2025 in New York, the United States. (Selcuk Acar / Anadolu via Getty Images)

He said that the idea came to see how often the Islamic call to prayer is heard in neighborhoods and that the will of Christian voices has the same public presence. “One really inspiring thing about it for us is that we do something here in Dearborn that our brothers and sisters and so many Muslim countries around the world are not allowed to do. And I give it to the municipal council and to the mayor to have allowed us to make this Christian call for prayer.”

At the same time, Barham said that Muslim American leaders should use their influence to put pressure on equal freedoms abroad. “My prayer is not only that we get more freedom here in Dearborn. My prayer is that people here in America, Muslims, Muslim history here in America will fight for the rights of oppressed Christian minorities in so many Muslim countries.”

He said he was shocked to hear Hammoud promising to “launch a parade” when he left the city. “I mean, as you saw, the mayor treated me terribly last week, but I did it, I think or not, I had good personal interactions with him, not so much myself, but my family,” added Barham.

While Barham awarded Hammoud to have financed new playgrounds and recalled the warm meeting of his son with the mayor during a preschool visit, he argued that there is a model of municipal leadership rejecting the Christian discourse. He underlined a struggle in 2022 for a Christian cinematographic event where the organizers were accused of “attacking children” simply to offer hot dogs and popcorn during a projection of the popular television program “The Chosen” on the life of Jesus Christ.

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Barham says he will continue to speak anyway. “I want to defend a totally different message that is the message of love,” he said. “The disagreement is not hatred. Faith can be expressed without fear.”

The Barham’s in -course Christian Ministry in the Dearborn community can be followed on X at @Dearborniscuss.

The mayor’s office Abdullah Hammoud did not immediately return the request for comments from Fox News Digital.