City adopts new street sign rule: Only those who contributed to the community

For now on only people who have made direct contributions to the city will be considered for receiving an honorific name to a street. Above: Greg Kowalski is prime example those who have contributed to the city. File photo

By Charles Sercombe
The city council has a new rule about granting honorific street names: Only people who have a direct connection to the city will be considered.
It was at the insistence of Mayor Adam Alharbi, an immigrant from Yemen, to put a stop to giving honorific names to foreign leaders.
Prior to that new rule, Councilmembers Mohammed Hassan and Abu Musa sought to give honorific street names to two Bangladeshi political figures, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was forced to flee from Bangladesh to India over her persecution of political rivals.
She was later sentenced to death in absentia.
Alharbi’s new rule also included undoing those two honorific street names.
On social media, Alharbi explained the reason for narrowing who can be honored: “With all due respect to everyone, including our vibrant Bengali community and all who call this city home, today’s decision to not allow foreign leaders on our streets was made to ensure fairness for all.
“My priority is to stay focused on the issues that matter most to our residents and the daily life of our neighborhoods. Hamtramck is our home, and our streets should belong to the people who live here.”
Prior to this rule, there were a number of Bangladeshi-Americans who had spoken out against the honorific naming by the Bangladeshi councilmembers.
Aimon Islam said he is against honoring foreign political figures.
“There shouldn’t be any resources used to honor a foreign political figure. It will open up a can of worms for others to propose renaming of streets as well which could create potential rifts amongst the community as well if those names are not approved,” Islam said.
Runa Chowdhury said, “This really has to be the most ridiculous thing to do. As a Bengali, this is super embarrassing.”
Hamtramck does have several honorific street names, including ones for former mayor Robert Kozaren, who served 18 years in office, and former councilmember Abdul Algazali – the city’s first Muslim to be elected to local office.
Most recently, Greg Kowalski, was honored with a street naming.
Kowalski’s contributions to the city are extensive, and he is credited with being the driving force behind creating the city’s Historical Museum.
The only foreign person granted with an honorific street sign was Polish pro-democracy Solidarity leader Lech Walesa. The sign in his honor was placed on top of Falcon, which is the street directly in front of city hall, back in the late 1980s when the city’s population was predominantly Polish.
That sign is long gone.
Mark Koroi, an attorney, also called into question the naming of Pope Park on Jos. Campau and Belmont as another example of the city honoring a foreign leader.
The park was named in honor of Pope John Paul II, the first Polish pope. The pope is also the leader of the independent nation Vatican City.
Pope Park was privately owned, and the statue of the pope was privately funded. The park was eventually donated to the city.
One of the controversial honorific street names was renaming Holbrook as Palestine Avenue.
Former councilmember Khalil Refai, a Yemeni-American, was behind that naming back in 2024.
At the time he said it “serves as a symbolic gesture of remembrance and support for the people of Gaza, Palestine and the Palestinian Americans who, many of them, have lost a family member since the occupation of their land.”
Former mayor Amer Ghalib, a Yemeni-American, was also in favor, telling Michigan Public Radio:
“I know it’s not going to change anything, but it’s just showing what Hamtramck stands for and what the community here stands for.”
Ghalib also told The Detroit News: “I don’t want to see on the news that the Hamtramck City Council disapproved naming of a street Palestine. It will look bad. It will look like we don’t support Palestine.”
Ghalib was recently appointed to a job by President Trump as Senior Consultant for Strategic Partnerships, and will be working with AmeriCorps.
The United State does not recognize Palestine as a state.
In the past, President Trump has rejected a two-state solution to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, and he has called for those living in Gaza to be relocated.
Ghalib, a Yemeni immigrant, has advocated for Palestinian rights, but also endorsed Trump for president. Ghalib is now working in his administration.
Councilmembers Refai, Abu Musa and Muhtasin Sadman also endorsed Trump. Hamtramck Board of Education members Abdulmalik Algahaim and Moortadha Obaid, both of who are immigrants from Yemen, also endorsed Trump.

Posted Feb. 6, 2026