Several Michigan Democratic officials have dismissed concerns about their associations with Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi, who recently held a memorial honoring the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Khamenei, killed by an Israeli airstrike last month, had repeatedly expressed hostility toward the United States, including his widely reported statement “Death to America.”
Photos and Donations Connect Imam to Prominent Democrats
Imam Elahi, who leads the Islamic House of Wisdom (IHW) mosque in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, maintained social media pages showing him alongside numerous Democratic figures. Photos recovered or still publicly visible include images with former President Bill Clinton, Vice President Kamala Harris, former Secretary of State John Kerry, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist, and U.S. Senator Gary Peters. These images were removed from his accounts after Fox News inquiries.
Michigan campaign finance records show Elahi has donated to several Democrats, including current U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who received over $800 in 2017, and Lt. Governor Gilchrist, who received more than $1,000. Former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, also pictured with Elahi, received $500. The Imam has made additional small-dollar contributions through Act Blue to various Democratic candidates and organizations nationwide.
Responses from Democratic Officials
When contacted about the Imam’s memorial for Khamenei and their previous interactions, Democratic lawmakers in Michigan generally declined to comment or minimized the significance of their associations. A spokesperson for Senator Peters reaffirmed his stance that Iran’s leadership are hostile actors and stressed the need to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Other Democratic candidates either did not respond or avoided further comment after initial contact.
GOP strategist Colin Reed criticized the Democrats’ reluctance to distance themselves from Elahi during a period of heightened geopolitical tensions, emphasizing the longstanding hostility of Iran’s regime toward the United States.
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