Michigan Islamic Leader Tells Congregation They Have "Role to Play" in Defending Iran's Supreme Leader
At a commemoration held in Dearborn, Michigan, local Islamic scholars urged participants to maintain unwavering trust in the Iranian regime, and condemned U.S. action in the country
During an Islamic ceremony held between June 26-28, 2025 in Dearborn, Michigan that coincided with the Israel-Iran ceasefire brokered by the Trump administration, prominent scholars condemned America’s actions in the region and declared their readiness to defend Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei against assassination plots, asserting that despite being "across the world, they have a role to play.”
Calls for Defense of Ayatollah Khamenei
According to the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), at the Muharram commemoration held at the Hadi Institute in Dearborn, Michigan after the U.S.-Israel strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, local Islamic scholar Usama Abdulghani urged participants to maintain unwavering trust in Iranian leadership. "You and I will have to learn to trust our leadership to know Imam Khamenei is a very capable general. He's playing chess while they are playing checkers," Abdulghani stated.
The most striking declaration came from an unidentified Hadi Institute official who explicitly outlined the American Shiite community's responsibilities. Describing Khamenei as "the leader of this resistance" and "none other than the flesh and blood of Sayyida al-Fatima [the daughter of the prophet Mohammed who is revered in Shia Islam]," the official warned that assassination plots were being openly discussed.
"The seeds have been planted and now brazenly they are speaking about attempting to kill our beloved [Khamenei]," he stated, before posing a direct challenge to the audience: "Are we just going to sit back idly while [a] Muslim is being threatened?" The official's continued: "We cannot sit idly by" and, "We may be across the world, but we have a role to play."
Dearborn Imam with Direct Ties to Khamenei Condemns US Attacks
Iman Mohammad Ali Elahi of Dearborn, Michigan also recently made headlines when he condemned the U.S. strikes on Iran. Elahi is a member of the Ahl El-Bayt World Assembly in Qom, an organization founded by Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in 1994 to spread the regime's influence in Shi'ite communities globally and promote Shia Islam and Iran's Islamic Revolution.
Before relocating to the U.S., Elahi held top positions in Iran's military and ideological establishments following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, including serving as head of the Iranian Navy's political-ideological office, a role appointed by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Despite living in the U.S. for many years, Elahi has maintained strong ties to the Iranian regime as well as top US current and former officials. Mohammad Ali Elahi has been photographed with Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State John Kerry and current Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Regional Context and Historical Patterns of Pro-Iranian Groups in Dearborn
Dearborn became the first Arab-majority municipality in the U.S. in 2023, with over 110,000 residents. Local Islamic institutions, particularly the Islamic House of Wisdom led by Mohammad Ali Elahi, have maintained extensive ties with Iranian regime officials, including direct meetings with Khamenei himself.
Local media outlets in Dearborn, including Dearborn.org, regularly cover funerals for Hezbollah and other Iranian regime proxy fighters and refer to them as "martyrs.”
The community has also held public celebrations for Hamas following the October 7th attacks and regularly marks International Al-Quds Day with calls for Israel's annihilation. On Al-Quds Day in 2024, Abdulghani, explained that Imam Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Revolution, established International Al-Quds Day because he saw Israel as a "cancer" and an "evil settler colonialist project."