A Metro Detroit imam publicly praised Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a “martyr” in remarks delivered during a Ramadan program at his mosque amid joint U.S.-Israel operations in Iran and the death of the brutal dictator.
On Saturday in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, Mohammad Ali Elahi, spiritual leader of the Islamic House of Wisdom, delivered a eulogy for Khamenei during a livestreamed event at the mosque, as reported by the Middle East Media Research Institute.
Elahi, an Iranian-born cleric who emigrated to the United States in 1991 and established the Islamic House of Wisdom in Metro Detroit, described the death of Khamenei as a profound loss and condemned U.S. military actions that preceded it.
Lamenting what he called the “depths of the tragedy,” Elahi characterized the “evil” and “ugly” operations in Iran as “a war against justice, against humanity, against morality, against legality, [and] against truth.”
Referring to the strike that killed the longtime repressive regime leader, Elahi said: “So they started an illegal war and then go and bomb the house of the leader of the country. Where is the justification for this? [Where is the] reason for this at all?”
He went on to frame Khamenei’s death as an act of martyrdom, declaring:
I know that you love to end this life this way, to be remembered forever and ever, that you were killed by the most wretched hands on earth. That is an honor, that is a pleasure to be in paradise of Allah. That you live a life of service as a source of authority, as an Islamic jurisprudent and scholar, as a philosopher, as a mystic, as a poet, as a father, as a teacher, as a leader, for decades and decades of absolute service in educating people with wisdom, and with work, and with worship. And then end your life after 86 years with martyrdom … Wow! Nothing can be more than this. You can’t expect more than this in the world.
He then offered a tribute with a prayer and a message to supporters of Khamenei: “May Allah have mercy on your soul, our beloved sayyid [Khamenei],” he stated. “Our condolences to your family and to your nation, and to the Islamic nation — those who have understanding.”
He also suggested that celebrations over Khamenei’s death stemmed from what he described as “sickness” and “ignorance.”
“I know that some people might be happy. When Imam Hussein was killed, some people in the Levant were celebrating, they were happy, because we know there’s so much sickness and ignorance in this world,” he explained. “But there are so many people who understand, who honor, who appreciate, who follow [you], whose hearts are broken. There are many of them.”
Later, Elahi was quoted as saying: “How embarrassing, how unfair and heartbreaking to kill a religious leader … Instead of rewarding him, they kill him.”
Khamenei, who ruled Iran for decades, presided over a theocratic regime accused by human rights organizations of brutally suppressing dissent. In recent weeks, Iranian authorities were reported to have killed tens of thousands of citizens amid widespread protests demanding greater freedom and reform.
He frequently described the U.S. as the “Great Satan,” echoing revolutionary rhetoric dating back to 1979.
Last month, Khamenei taunted President Donald Trump and warned that American warships could be sent “to the bottom of the sea,” denouncing the United States as a “corrupt, oppressive empire” in decline.
He also threatened regional war and accused President Trump of inciting violent protests during an online tirade marking the anniversary of Iran’s Islamic Revolution.
Iran will “put an end to the United States’ mischief,” he warned.
The U.S. operations targeting the regime come as President Trump defends strong action against what U.S. officials have long labeled the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism and a direct threat to American interests and allies.
Elahi’s remarks come amid increased scrutiny of Islamist extremism in the United States.
Last month, the religious director of the Muslim American Society’s New York youth center vowed open defiance of U.S. authorities, declaring it his “life mission” as a Muslim to fight against the American government, military, and federal immigration enforcement “to the last breath.”
In December, a Florida Islamic cleric argued that America deserves mass punishment from Allah but has been spared only out of “honor” for devout Muslims living in the U.S.
He also denounced President Trump as “human garbage,” claimed Somalis’ feet are cleaner than the American president’s face, and mocked Secretary of State Marco Rubio as “gay,” declaring that the mere prospect of a caliphate gives Rubio nightmares.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
