Legal Action in Dearborn Over Religious Symbolism

Margot Cleveland, a senior legal correspondent for The Federalist, is taking legal action against the city of Dearborn, Michigan, and its mayor, Abdullah Hammoud. She claims that the city has violated her First Amendment rights by displaying only Muslim symbols in public, labeling Dearborn a “hostile place for Christians and Jews.”

Cleveland points out that the city has put up banners celebrating the Islamic holiday of Ramadan, along with displays featuring crescent moons, while simultaneously overlooking similar Christian or Jewish symbols. “I was picking up pizza in downtown Dearborn when I noticed ‘Ramadan Kareem’ banners everywhere,” she recounted in an interview. “It was the fourth week of Lent, with Easter just two weeks away and Passover a week out. It really took me by surprise, especially when I saw the crescent moon display all by itself.”

Following this, Cleveland reached out to Dearborn’s city attorney to inquire whether there were plans to also display banners related to other Abrahamic faiths, but reported receiving no response. To further investigate, she filed multiple Freedom of Information Act requests, which allegedly revealed the city’s use of Islamic imagery in various official functions.

“The police department was marketing Ramadan t-shirts featuring their seal alongside a crescent moon,” Cleveland noted. She added that her attempts to reach out repeatedly to city officials were met with silence, leading one city council member to inform her that they had been instructed not to respond.

Later, she attended a city council meeting in May to discuss using the city’s budget surplus for Christian and Jewish holiday decorations. “I never said the city should not celebrate Ramadan,” Cleveland emphasized. “What I’m asking for is that Christians and Jews receive the same recognition. We should see banners for Passover, Easter, perhaps a Star of David or a cross—something to reflect our unity as a community.”

Instead of addressing her requests, Cleveland claims that the city increased the number of Ramadan decorations following her outreach efforts. “After I was ignored, suddenly there were even more Ramadan displays put up,” she remarked. “The mayor just chose to make the Ramadan displays bigger and brighter.”

In response to Cleveland’s lawsuit, the city of Dearborn issued a statement asserting their commitment to serving all residents equitably, regardless of their religious backgrounds. “Dearborn will continue to uphold the rights and dignity of every resident,” the statement asserted.

The American Freedom Law Center filed the civil suit on Cleveland’s behalf in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan on September 17. Meanwhile, the mayor’s office has not commented on the matter.

Cleveland concluded by stating that misunderstandings arise about Dearborn from those outside the city. “The average residents here get along well,” she said. “My concern is with the city leadership discriminating against Christians and Jews. It’s the mayor who is causing discord.”

The city attorney did not provide additional comments following the lawsuit’s announcement.