Michigan Governor Remains Silent After Debates Over Controversial Street Sign

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has not commented for several days following a heated debate in Dearborn. The city’s Muslim mayor faced backlash from Christian residents regarding a new street sign that honors Arab-American newspaper publishers, who have made statements viewed as sympathetic towards terrorists in the past.

Fox News Digital tried to contact Whitmer’s office for a response, a week after the Detroit Free Press highlighted the contentious meeting in Dearborn.

During the debate, Mayor Abdullah Hammaud allegedly told resident Ted Barham that he was “not welcome here.” Barham also mentioned that if he were to leave this city, where around 40% of the population is Muslim, he would consider holding a parade.

Barham expressed his worries regarding the decision to honor newspaper publisher Osama Siblani, stating that renaming streets after controversial figures could be comparable to calling them “Hezbollah Street” or “Hamas Street.”

In response, Hammaud accused Barham of lacking belief in “coexistence” and suggested that he should close his eyes when driving along the avenue where the sign for Siblani is placed.

Barham acknowledged that Siblani might be doing positive work for the Dearborn community through his newspaper, but stood firm in his criticism, citing past remarks from Siblani. These statements, monitored by the Middle East Media Institute, suggest that Siblani has claimed Hamas is not a terrorist organization and has previously engaged in controversial rhetoric.

Siblani, in an interview with the Free Press, stated he was unaware of Barham’s background and remarked that the comments attributed to residents were taken out of context. He also criticized the Middle East Media Institute, co-founded by former intelligence officials, for allegedly misrepresenting facts.