Introduction
On March 7, 2025, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, who represents Michigan's 6th Congressional District and serves as Chair of The House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC)[1] met with Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi, a prominent Iran-born Shi'ite cleric who heads the Shi'ite Islamic House of Wisdom in Dearborn Heights, Michigan and is considered a central figure in the U.S. Shi'ite community. He is also known to maintain close relations with the Iranian regime.
Rep. Dingell met with Imam Elahi on March 8, 2025, alongside fellow Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, at his Islamic center, The Islamic House of Wisdom (IHW). Elahi posted about the meeting on his Facebook page, sharing photos of the two Representatives. This visit comes only six months after Elahi devoted a Friday sermon to discussing Quranic verses about the alleged treachery of the Jews, directly linking them to contemporary Zionists, whom he described as "people who are enemies of peace[;] They love fighting. They love war. They love blood. They try to escalate the war, to make more mess and more misery in this world because they enjoy crime and corruption."
Imam Elahi delivers a livestreamed sermon from Dearborn, Michigan, on September 20, 2024 (See MEMRI clip 11440).
Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi's March 8, 2025 Facebook post about the visit from Reps. Debbie Dingell and Rashida Tlaib.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Rep. Debbie Dingell meeting with Imam Elahi at the Islamic House of Wisdom in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, March 7, 2025.
Elahi's Support For The Iran-Backed, U.S.-Designated Terror Organization Lebanese Hizbullah
Elahi uses his public platform not only to espouse antisemitic tropes and incite hatred of Jews. He also expresses support and admiration of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its Terror-Designated proxy, Lebanese Hizbullah.
On February 23, 2025, Elahi posted about the funeral of slain Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, saying it was an "indescribable day" in Lebanon's history, and "A day of victory for morality, truth, justice, and humanity."[2] (For more about the open mourning for Nasrallah in the local media of Dearborn, Michigan, see MEMRI Special Dispatch 11885 – The Local Media Of Dearborn, Michigan Openly Mourns Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah And His Successor Hashem Safieddine In Its Extensive, Laudatory Coverage Of Their Funeral – Reflecting Dearborn's Longstanding Outspoken Support For The Designated Terror Group.)
Elahi's post honoring slain Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.
In a speech at a January 8, 2025 fundraiser for displaced families in Lebanon, Elahi said that it is a blessing to have "known" and been "attached with" assassinated Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah and all the "martyrs" in southern Lebanon. He said that Nasrallah and "the people who sacrificed in Lebanon and Yemen to support the cause of the oppressed in Gaza" were the "real winners of 2024." He said that "they deserve every support." Elahi added: "You did your job, beloved martyrs. We send our salam and our salutations to you" (see MEMRI TV clip no. 11757).
In the same speech, Elahi prayed to Allah to "humiliate the corruptor, criminal, occupying Zionists".
Elahi Meets Iranian President Pezeshkian At UN Assembly In New York, September 2024, Claims: Jews Are Safer In Iran Than In Israel
On September 24, 2024, Elahi met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who addressed the UN Assembly in New York City.[3] On his Instagram account, Elahi praised "President Pezeshkian's call for peace, justice, diversity, dialogue and an end to Israeli wars built on lies, deception, dishonesty and the pursuit of personal gain with no regard for international law, human rights, or human dignity... I told the President that if violence, genocide, and the butchering of babies in Gaza and Lebanon were the solution for Jewish safety, then Israel should be the safest entity in the world. But in reality, the 10,000 Jews living in Iran, with 80 synagogues, are far safer than those Jews living in Israel."[4]
Iranian President Pezeshkian and Elahi, September 24, 2024.
The Instagram post by Elahi about his meeting with Iranian President Pezeshkian, September 24, 2024.
Elahi offered condolences to "the spiritual leader" of the Iranian regime upon the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a May 19, 2024 helicopter crash.[5]
Message of condolence by Imam Ali Elahi of the Islamic House of Wisdom. Source: Facebook
These are only the most recent examples of Elahi's statements of support for the Islamic Republic of Iran. Over the decades, met many times with senior officials in the Iranian regime, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. He has ties to the founder of Iran's Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and as a young man was even appointed by Khomeini to a top post in the Iranian Navy. He has also met with former Iranian presidents Ali Akbar Hashemi and Hassan Rouhani.
Elahi works to strengthen the relationship between the U.S. Shi'ite community and Iran, emphasizing the values and principles of Shi'ite Islam and promoting the values of Iran's Islamic Revolution in the U.S.. For more about Elahi's close relationship with top Iranian regime officials and with senior current and past officials in U.S. administrations, see MEMRI Report Leading U.S. Shi'ite Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi, Based In Dearborn, Michigan Area, And His Relationship With Both The Iranian Regime And Top Current And Former U.S. Officials.
Elahi Endorsed By U.S. Politicians
Dingell's is not the first U.S. politician to pay public respects to Elahi, despite his virulent antisemitism and extensive ties to the Islami Republic of Iran. His meetings with current and former U.S. officials, including Vice President Kamala Harris, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, and former Secretary of State John Kerry, are amply documented.
Elahi has successfully positioned himself not only as a religious figure, but in local and national politics as well. He has been photographed many times with U.S. government officials. On January 1, 2023, Elahi delivered the prayer at the inauguration ceremony of Governor Gretchen Whitmer.[6]
Elahi at Governor Gretchen Whitmer's Inauguration, January 1, 2023.
On July 12, 2021, Elahi met with Vice President Kamala Harris at a Detroit event promoting COVID-19 vaccinations. A visit by VP Harris to his institution, the Islamic House of Wisdom, was planned but ultimately canceled due to local flooding.[7]
Mohammad Ali Elahi pictured with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. (Source: Detroit Free Press, July 12, 2021)
Elahi has been photographed with other top U.S. officials, including former Secretary of State John Kerry. He has also met with former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.[8]
Mohammad Ali Elahi with former Secretary of State John Kerry. ((Source: X account of researcher Danial Tehrany, X.com/DTehrany/status/1550408878243864576, January 22, 2022)
Mohammad Ali Elahi with former President Bill Clinton (Source: X account of researcher Danial Tehrany, X.com/DTehrany/status/1550408878243864576, January 22, 2022)
On December 5, 2018, Elahi was invited to open a session of the Michigan House of Representatives with a prayer, as part of an initiative by House Speaker Rep. Tom Leonard and hosted by Rep. Sylvia Santana. In his prayer, Elahi quoted Quran verses, highlighting key principles of Islam.
Mohammad Ali Elahi leading prayer in the Michigan House of Representatives. (Source: Islamic House of Wisdom website, December 5, 2018)[9]
Clips Of Mohammad Ali Elahi – From The MEMRI Archives
January 2025 – Dearborn Heights Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi: Slain Hizbullah Secretary-General Nasrallah And The Martyrs In Lebanon And Yemen Are The 'Real' Winners' Of 2024
Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi of the Islamic House of Wisdom in Dearborn Heights said in a speech at a January 8, 2025 fundraiser for displaced families in Lebanon that it is a blessing to have "known" and been "attached with" assassinated Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah and all the "martyrs" in southern Lebanon. He said that Nasrallah and "the people who sacrificed in Lebanon and Yemen to support the cause of the oppressed in Gaza" were the "real winners of 2024." He said that "they deserve every support." Elahi, who immigrated to the United States from Iran in the early 1990s, said that he is willing to sell an apartment that he owns “back home” in order to "make a little house for somebody in southern Lebanon. Elahi added: "You did your job, beloved martyrs. We send our salam and our salutations to you."
To view the clip click here or below:
September 2024 – Dearborn, Michigan Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi Cites Quranic Verses Describing The Treachery Of The Jews, Adds: These Are The Zionists Humanity Is Dealing With Now – They Killed Their Own Prophets, Were Cursed By King David And Jesus For Disobeying And Transgressing; America Is Run By AIPAC, Funding Israel’s Terrorism With Taxpayer Money, While Biden Appears To Be Sleeping
In a September 20, 2024 Friday sermon at the Islamic House of Wisdom which was livestreamed on Facebook, Michigan Shi'ite Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi said that the words "occupation," "apartheid," "genocide," and "war crimes" are not enough to describe the brutality and barbarism of Israel over the past year, and he said that the Zionists are the enemies of peace and love blood, misery, crime, and corruption. He said that it is "shameful" that the United States sponsors Israel's "terrorism" with taxpayer money, and he said that it appears that U.S. President Joe Biden is "sleeping" and the country is instead run by AIPAC. He criticized the recent pager attack in Lebanon, saying that it has broken international trust because now mobile devices, household appliances, cars, and airplanes may be subject to sabotage, and he cited several verses from the Quran that describe the treachery and mischief of the Jews.
On September 24, Imam Elahi met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at the UN Plaza in Manhattan, and there are also photos of him alongside U.S. Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
To view the clip click here or below:
March 2024 – Dearborn, Michigan Interfaith Prayer Vigil In Honor Of U.S. Serviceman Aaron Bushnell Who Self-Immolated In Front Of Israeli Embassy: This 'Pure Martyr' Expressed His Opposition To The 'Hitlers Of The 21st Century'
On March 3, 2024, an interfaith prayer vigil was held in honor of Aaron Bushnell, a U.S. serviceman who self-immolated in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington D.C., near the Henry Ford library in Dearborn, Michigan. Imam Sheikh Ali Elahi of the Islamic House of Wisdom in Dearborn Heights, MI said that when Bushnell lit himself on fire, he "sent a mighty message to the entire world." He added that he performed an "amazing self-sacrifice" that expressed his opposition to the "Hitlers of the 21st century," the "Hitlers" of Hell and the Holocaust. Elahi said: "You are a pure martyr in this country." He continued to say that one day there will be statues of Bushnell in the streets and squares of a "free Palestine." Michigan Imam Mustapha Elturk, the "Ameer" of the Islamic Organization of North America (IONA) located in Warren, MI, said that the adversaries of the Palestinians are not just the foes, but the adversaries of all humanity.
The event was streamed live on the Facebook page of Iraqis in Michigan – America. It was organized by the Intercultural Community Center in Dearborn (ICCD), the Dearborn Area Interfaith Network (DAIN) and the local chapter of Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA).
To view the clip click here or below:
February 2024 – Dearborn Heights, Michigan Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi Mocks President Biden In Friday Sermon, Adds: Netanyahu Is Hitler Of The 21st Century, Committing A Holocaust Against The Palestinians
In a February 9, 2024 Friday sermon at the Islamic House of Wisdom, which was streamed live on Facebook, Michigan Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi mocked Joe Biden for referring to Abd Al-Fattah Al-Sisi as president of Mexico instead of the president of Egypt. He said that Netanyahu was a "Hitler of the 21st century," and he added: "Hitler had the holocaust of the Jews, and this Hitler has the holocaust of the Palestinians." He celebrated the anniversary of the Iranian Islamic Revolution. In July 2023, Imam Elahi came under scrutiny by several Republican lawmakers for his ties with the Iranian regime.
To view the clip click here or below:
December 2023 - Michigan Imam Sheikh Ali Elahi On College Antisemitism Congressional Probe: AIPAC Is The Cancer Destroying American Democracy – Anyone Who Wants To Run For Congress Must Pay Money To AIPAC
Michigan imam Sheikh Ali Elahi condemned AIPAC in a Friday December 15, 2023 sermon at the Islamic House of Wisdom in Dearborn Heights and posted on the mosque’s YouTube channel. He described AIPAC as a cancer that is destroying democracy in America. Elahi claimed that in order to be voted into Congress, one must pay money to AIPAC. He further condemned Republican representative for New York Elise Stefanik for conducting a Congressional investigation of antisemitism on elite college campuses. He claimed that three "honorable" university professors, referring to Harvard President Claudine Gay, Pennsylvania State President Liz Magill, and MIT President Sally Kornbluth, suffered "harassment" during the five-hour investigation. Elahi suggested that Congresswoman Stefanik does not care about Israel or Jews, but such people are being opportunistic, seeking personal power. Sheikh Ali Elahi has come under scrutiny in the past due to reported ties with Iran and the IRGC.
To view the clip click here or below:
August 2023 – Michigan Imam Sheikh Mohammad Ali Elahi Condemns Letter By Members Of Congress Warning Of His Iranian Ties, Adds: Why Does No One Condemn The Death Sentence Given To Tree Of Life Synagogue Shooter?
Michigan imam Sheikh Mohammad Ali Elahi said in a Friday, August 4, 2023 sermon at the Islamic House of Wisdom in Dearborn Heights, Michigan that it is unusual that even opponents of the death penalty, such as U.S. President Joe Biden, have remained silent about the death sentence recently given to Tree of Life Synagogue shooter Robert Bowers.
Elahi also addressed a letter written by nine members of Congress to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines warning against the Iranian regime's influence through Islamic centers and leaders in the United States. He said that these members of Congress are expressing their "Sheikh Elahi-phobia" by singling him out for his position as an Islamic teacher in the Iranian Navy during the 1980s, meetings with Iranian presidents, and the Hizbullah-linked Sheikh Muhammad Fadlallah. Elahi added that he might be given the "maximum" penalty and be killed if Donald Trump becomes president again, and said that he is willing to accept this sentence.
The letter by Members of Congress referenced by Elahi highlighted four Shi'ite Islamic centers with connections to the Iranian regime: the Islamic House of Wisdom in Dearborn Heights, Michigan; the Islamic Education Center of Houston, Texas (see MEMRI TV Clips Nos. 6475, 7081, 8132, and 9719); the Manassas Mosque in Virginia (see MEMRI TV Clip No. 6487), and the Islamic Education Center in Potomac, Maryland.
To view the clip click here or below:
[1] Dpcc.house.gov/about, accessed March 24, 2025.
[2] Facebook.com/share/p/1BRi8n2jgL/, February 23, 2025.
[3] Apnews.com/article/un-general-assembly-iran-president-pezeshkian-bca11f4148e60d84a39f85cde78fa2bf, September 24, 2024.
[4] Instagram.com/imam_elahi/p/DAUCfGHR3yy/?img_index=2, September 24, 2024.
[5] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 11361 – Dearborn Islamic Centers And Imams Hold Memorial Services For, And Praise, Iranian President Raisi And Others Killed In Helicopter Crash In Iran; Imam Usama Abdulghani At Memorial: 'He Was A True Soldier' Of 'Our Leader' Supreme Leader Khamenei, Biden And The Pope Grovel Before Kingmaker Zionist Families, May 28, 2024.
[6] Youtube.com/watch?v=AONlxEwOFj8, January 2, 2023.
[7] Extremism.gwu.edu/propaganda-procurement-and-lethal-operations-irans-activities-inside-america, October 9, 2024.
[8] Didban (Iran), December 22, 2020.
[9] Islamichouseofwisdom.com/outreach?offset=1550259900612, December 5, 2018.
