A Dearborn, Michigan, city council hearing grew heated when the city’s Muslim mayor lashed out at a resident who opposed renaming a local street after an Arab-American journalist, telling the critic to “close your eyes” while driving down the road if he had a problem with the proposal.

Mayor Abdullah H. Hammoud also told local resident Edward “Ted” Barham that he was “not welcome” in the city after he voiced his concern about street signs being installed to honor Osama Siblani, publisher of the Arab American News.

“The best suggestion I have for you is to not drive on Warren Avenue or to close your eyes while you’re doing it,” the mayor said. “His name is up there and I spoke at a ceremony celebrating it because he’s done a lot for this community.”

The mayor hurled insults toward Mr. Barham, a Christian, after he spoke up against two intersections being renamed after Mr. Siblani. “He’s a promoter of Hezbollah and Hamas,” the resident said before he quoted past statements from the publisher.

“He talks about how the blood of the martyrs irrigates the land of Palestine … whether we are in Michigan and whether we are in Yemen. Believe me, everyone should fight within his means. They will fight with stones, others will fight with guns, others fight with planes, drones, and rockets,” he quoted the publisher as saying, according to a report from Fox 2 Detroit.

Mr. Barham also equated the street renaming to calling it “Hezbollah Street or Hamas Street,” and said that as a Christian he preferred names that encourage peace and not conflict. 

He was immediately met with opposition from council members, who interjected and scolded Mr. Barham for his “personal attacks.” They said the decision to name the street was made by county officials and not the city.

“The sign that was placed on Warren Avenue, which is a county road and that was done by the Wayne County Executive,” one council member said.

Mr. Hammoud then responded with his remarks.

“Although you live here, I want you to know as mayor, you are not welcome here,” Mr. Hammoud said to Mr. Barnham after calling him a bigot, racist, and Islamophobe. “The day you move out of the city will be the day that I launch a parade celebrating the fact that you moved out of this city.”