Dearborn’s Muslim Mayor jokes about ‘Jihad’ days before FBI raid of suspected Jihadis in Dearborn who were planning mass casualty terror attacks in the area

In a podcast published on November 3, 2025, Dearborn’s Muslim Mayor Abdullah Hammoud was asked about how the city responded to a Wall Street Journal op-ed that named his city as “Jihad Capital” of the United States.

MEForum (h/t Marvin W) Hammoud told his interviewer that the city responded with a video highlighting Dearborn’s attractions. “The funny idea I had was to go and name everyone ‘Jihad,’” the mayor said. “‘Hi, my name is Jihad.’ And just put that in the video. ‘We are Jihad.’ I thought that would be funny.”

The podcast appears to have been recorded a day or two before the FBI busted up an ISIS-inspired terrorist plot in Dearborn. The alleged conspirators had hopes of matching the carnage of the Nov. 13, 2015 ISIS attack in Paris that killed 137 people and injured more than 416, according to the FBI criminal complaint.

Two Dearborn residents—Mohmed Ali and Majed Mahmoud—have been charged so far in the plot. An unnamed young juvenile who was deeply involved in the planning of the attack and has yet to be arrested had a role as a “holy warrior involved in violent jihad” in a chat group he in which was involved.

The group of alleged conspirators had stockpiled weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition and had practiced shooting at gun ranges leading up to the planned attack on or around Halloween, according to the FBI criminal complaint. Ali and Mahmoud had met privately on October 10 in a city of Dearborn park. The FBI believes they met in the park to have private conversations about the upcoming attack without being overheard.

The juvenile, Ali, and Mahmoud had traveled to Ferndale, a Detroit suburb, to scout out bars frequented by members of the LGBTQ community. The FBI criminal complaint stated that is where the attack was likely to take place.

Two more men connected to the terrorism plot, Milo Sedarat and Thomas Kaan Guzel, were arrested this week, according to the New York Post.

While the plot has garnered national headlines, there has been very little comment from Muslim leaders or mosques in Dearborn. Dearborn Mayor Hammoud’s only comment on social media about the FBI raid in his city was a post on his Instagram account on October 31, the day the news broke.

“We are aware of reports regarding a federal investigation and arrests in Michigan. At this time, there is no indication of any immediate threat to the City of Dearborn. We understand the concern such news can cause, and we are monitoring developments closely. As we learn more and verify information through official channels, we will share updates with our residents. Our focus remains on keeping our community safe and informed.”

Muslim institutions in the Dearborn area have kept mostly quiet in the aftermath of the arrests. The Islamic Institute of Knowledge, located in Dearborn, did not respond to phone calls. The general voice mail was full and could not receive any more messages and attempts to reach other departments were not successful. At one point, a phone call was answered but then seconds later disconnected.

The Islamic Center of Detroit, a mosque with a history of promoting hardline Salafi clerics located just a few blocks from Dearborn, did not respond to an email from Focus on Western Islamism (FWI) seeking comment.

The American Moslem Society, also located in Dearborn, did not respond to an email seeking comment. The Islamic House of Wisdom, in Dearborn Heights, whose leader, Mohammad Elahi has praised Iranian extremists, did not respond to an email seeking comment. The Islamic Center of America, located in Dearborn, did not respond to an email seeking comment.

Some Muslim leaders quoted in a November 3 article by Detroit Free Press writer Andrea May Sahouri expressed skepticism about the government and its case. Dawud Walid, executive director of Michigan’s chapater of the Hamas-linked Council on American-Islamic Relations, told the Detroit Free Press: “Every single comment that was made is that, ‘Here we go again,’ the government has been involved in a plot or a scheme to entrap young people,” Walid said. “There’s a long history in America of the FBI using confidential informants, along with taxpayer dollars, to plot schemes.”

The arrests captured the attention of Anthony Deegan, a Dearborn resident who has challenged Hammoud for verbally attacking another Dearborn resident, Ted Barham, for raising concerns about having a street named after a local newspaper editor who has been supportive of Hezbollah. During the controversy, Hammoud told a Christian resident that he was not welcome in the city and that he would throw a party if that Christian resident left.

Deegan said Muslims in Dearborn demonstrate support for organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah during rallies.

“People openly support Hezbollah and openly support Hamas. Those are terrorist organizations. It’s almost like the best place to hide is out in the open,” Deegan said, adding that the city council and mayor are reluctant to denounce Hamas and Hezbollah.