In 2015, it became the first city in the U.S. to elect a majority-Muslim City Council Local liberals cheered. But they weren’t cheering two years ago, when the City Council – now 100% Muslim – voted to ban rainbow flags from being flown on municipal property. To be sure, Muslim residents who packed City Hall for the occasion did cheer. A few months earlier, the City Council had voted to permit residents to carry out animal sacrifices in their homes. Barham was polite and self-effacing, expressing respect for Siblani’s efforts to draw attention to the plight of Palestinians.