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Detroit: Imam “sad and heartbroken” after being questioned over his support for Soleimani

Feb 15, 2020 5:00 pm By Robert Spencer

Ever the victim. But if, as seems clear, Elahi supports the Islamic Republic of Iran, whose highest authorities routinely scream “Death to America,” how loyal can he be to the country he says he loves? Such a question will immediately be dismissed as “Islamophobic,” but in what way exactly is it wrong to ask it?’

“CBP Questions Detroit-area Imam Who Mourned Soleimani,” by John Rossomando, IPT News, February 13, 2020:

Weeks after criticizing a U.S. drone strike that killed Iran’s top terror mastermind, U.S. Customs officials questioned a Detroit-area imam about his support for the Iranian regime.Mohamed Ali Elahi described the Feb. 6 encounter, which took place as he got off a flight from Seoul, South Korea at Detroit’s Metropolitan Airport, on his Facebook page.

“My sad and bad experience at the airport today,” he wrote.

Approximately 10 officers greeted him, with two asking him to be questioned and have his phone searched.

“I was not told what they were looking for, while checking my cellphone which carries my thousands of emails, WhatsApp, Telegram, Twitter and text messages, but if the purpose was to scan all the information, it would take more than ten minutes!” Elahi wrote. “One of the officers was interested to know my opinion on killing of General [Qasem] Sol[e]imani in Iraq, something I had already explained in my public letter to the president following the assassination!

“I felt so sad and heartbroken not for myself but for a country I love!”

The letter he referred to attacked President Trump for how he has spoken about Barack Obama and for turning his back on the Iran nuclear deal, among other things.

“You may see Soleimani as a terrorist but now tens of millions of Iraqis and Iranians marching behind his coffin, are honoring him as a charismatic leader, and collectively condemning your action and they categorize it as act of terrorism. So, I can see a lot that you lost out of this killing and wonder if you accomplished anything!” Elahi wrote.

Elahi condemned Soleimani’s killing during a press conference held last month at his mosque, the Islamic House of Wisdom.

He said he is a naturalized U.S. citizen and has lived here for almost 30 years, arriving in the U.S. in 1991.

Before coming to America, Elahi ran the Iranian Navy’s Head Political Ideological Bureau, a 1986 CIA report said. The late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini appointed Elahi to that position in 1982, and he served in that post for five years.

The bureau was responsible for indoctrinating Iranian sailors to hate America and for enforcing Islamic norms. Before the revolution, many Iranian navy personnel trained in the United States and had positive feelings about America. Elahi’s bureau reported to Khomeini’s central staff, a 1987 Rand Corporation report noted, and was responsible for implementing the ayatollah’s directives. This office was tasked with spying on naval personnel and rooting out dissenters.Stories over the years in the Detroit Free Press and other local Detroit news outlets glossed over Elahi’s work in the Iranian navy, saying he “taught religious classes in Iran’s Navy.” Elahi’s official biography on the Islamic House of Wisdom’s website also minimizes his role, saying, “Imam Elahi was appointed as an Islamic ethics teacher at the Iranian Naval Academy.”

Despite that history, and his open expression of grief over Soleimani’s death, Elahi expressed surprise that he drew law enforcement scrutiny:

“Is this how a faith servant, an ambassador of peace, a promoter of dialogue, a person whose life is dedicated to modesty, moderation, and call against extremism, terrorism and injustice, treated after 12 hours of flight and a week of restless outreach and hard work?”

Customs and Border Protection officers asked Elahi about references on his mosque’s website to the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran. A 2014 post describes a celebration of the 35th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution that brought the ayatollah to power. Elahi praised Ayatollah Khomeini as “an exceptional religious authority who combined religion and reason, morality and modernization, purification and civilization,” the post said.

A 2010 post shows that the Islamic House of Wisdom held memorial prayers to commemorate the anniversary of Khomeini’s 1989 death and to condemn Israel’s “criminal attack on the Gaza Aid Flotilla.”

A 2013 post includes a biography of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and recommends his writings.

Elahi also met with Hizballah spiritual adviser Ayatollah Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah, and in 2010 mourned the leader of Iran’s top terrorist proxy as a “great scholar.” Fadlallah advocated suicide bombings in the 1980s during the Lebanese civil war.

Elahi has continued to have contact with high-level Iranian officials while working as an imam in Dearborn. Elahi has denied being Iranian agent.

“When I took the American citizenship and took the vows associated with loyalty to this country, I meant it. So I’m not [an] ambassador of Iran or any other country,” Elahi told CBN News in 2006.

During a March 2017 trip to Iran, Elahi met with former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami. They had a “friendly conversation” about Khatami’s eight years as president and discussed his memories of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Elahi also met with current President Hassan Rouhani in 2014 as part of a delegation of American Muslim leaders. He met Rouhani’s predecessor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during his 2010 visit to the U.S. in a similar setting with American Muslim leaders in New York.

He hasn’t left Iranian regime propaganda far behind either, appearing on its Press TV propaganda channel numerous times….

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Filed Under: claiming victim status, Featured, Muslim clerics Tagged With: detroit, Islamic House of Wisdom, Mohamed Ali Elahi


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Comments

  1. Templer says

    Feb 15, 2020 at 5:10 pm

    Good U.K. should do the same

  2. PRCS says

    Feb 15, 2020 at 5:43 pm

    1. I believe he’s the same ‘can’t stop him from talking’ Imam that ‘can’t stop him from talking’ Hannity used to interview.

    2. But, wouldn’t he ‘love’ the USA more if it could just be governed per Islamic law?

    • David says

      Feb 18, 2020 at 12:20 pm

      ” “I felt so sad and heartbroken not for myself but for a country I love!” Which country is he talking about? America or Iran?
      “Is this how a faith servant, an ambassador of peace, a promoter of dialogue, a person whose life is dedicated to modesty, moderation, and call against extremism, terrorism and injustice, treated after 12 hours of flight and a week of restless outreach and hard work?” These sound like the words of someone speaking Taqiyya.

  3. commonsense says

    Feb 15, 2020 at 5:49 pm

    How the hell did he pass scrutiny and be allowed to stay here? Insane. We are still asleep; the events of 9-11 have evidently taught most of those in government, the military, and law enforcement virtually nothing.

  4. Wellington says

    Feb 15, 2020 at 6:23 pm

    Sad and heartbroken?

    This is the way I feel often times that Islam exists at all.

    • gravenimage says

      Feb 15, 2020 at 8:24 pm

      +1

  5. James Lincoln says

    Feb 15, 2020 at 6:29 pm

    So, according to the feature article:

    “He said he is a naturalized U.S. citizen and has lived here for almost 30 years, arriving in the U.S. in 1991.

    Before coming to America, Elahi ran the Iranian Navy’s Head Political Ideological Bureau, a 1986 CIA report said. The late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini appointed Elahi to that position in 1982, and he served in that post for five years.”

    Not much of the vetting process in the United States circa 1991, hopefully we’ve learned something since that time…

    • Wellington says

      Feb 15, 2020 at 8:17 pm

      “…hopefully we’ve learned something since that time.”

      Me too, James, but I wouldn’t bet a beer on it let alone my entire fortune.

      Conclusion: America and the West in general are still functioning in dumb mode, for whatever indefensible reason, about Islam. Trump is “merely” a refreshing “outlier” here and he has been regularly excoriated by tons of useless people for his statements and actions about Islam, including by much of the federal judiciary which suffers from terminal willful ignorance, as does half of the Republican Party and all of the Democratic Party.

      Not lookin’ good. Think I’ll go for that beer now.

      • Michael Copeland says

        Feb 16, 2020 at 8:25 am

        Judiciary?
        Terminal wilful ignorance?
        Sounds like the UK:
        https://gatesofvienna.net/2019/06/the-lamentable-shortcomings-of-some-english-judges-and-senior-lawyers/

    • gravenimage says

      Feb 15, 2020 at 8:24 pm

      Strip him of his citizenship and deport his *ss.

      • Wellington says

        Feb 15, 2020 at 10:04 pm

        A beautiful sentiment.

      • James Lincoln says

        Feb 16, 2020 at 1:21 am

        Y E S, And I’ll chip in for airfare – one way…

        • mortimer says

          Feb 16, 2020 at 2:47 am

          I second, JL.

        • David says

          Feb 18, 2020 at 12:23 pm

          James: Make sure he has(n’t) got a bomb in his suitcase.

      • Jerry says

        Feb 16, 2020 at 6:46 am

        Let’s be more diplomatic.

        Commend him for his allegiance to his land of origin and repatriate him there asap to better enjoy it’s blessings.

        It is clear that he can never have and never had simultaneously allegiance to both.

        He therefore never fully truly and correctly declared his allegiance to the land of his current residence and was therefore naturalised in error.

      • PRCS says

        Feb 16, 2020 at 9:55 am

        Sounds good, but I’d be surprised to learn–later, that he’s been stripped of that Naturalized Citizenship.

        Because it ain’t easy to do.

        Can a Naturalized US Citizen Be Deported?
        https://www.jacksonwhitelaw.com/immigration-law/can-a-naturalized-us-citizen-be-deported/

        • gravenimage says

          Feb 16, 2020 at 10:54 pm

          PRCS, more of these Jihadist thugs *are* being deported.

        • PRCS says

          Feb 17, 2020 at 1:12 am

          GI,

          Out of how many?

          Because it ain’t easy to do.

          Can a Naturalized US Citizen Be Deported?
          https://www.jacksonwhitelaw.com/immigration-law/can-a-naturalized-us-citizen-be-deported/

    • Alarmed Pig Farmer says

      Feb 16, 2020 at 8:10 am

      So let me get this straight. Prez Jimmy makes the egregious error of deposing the Shah to let Persia rule itself as it saw fit, the scowling Ayatollah takes over, goes on to kidnap our embassy staff and holds them for over a year, and a decade later we admit the dude who was a major ideology chief for the Islamic Republic. Why? Why would we do such a thing? That’s guaranteed to put a spot of stinking rot into America, and sure enough here he is in the Midwest teaching hairy bilge.

      • Westman says

        Feb 16, 2020 at 9:43 am

        Only in America do we welcome moles from foreign enemy governments.

        • David says

          Feb 18, 2020 at 12:27 pm

          Westman: Not true, sadly. Most of Europe welcomes these dangerous people. Hungary certainly doesn’t and they don’t have an islamic terror problem. They must be doing something right. Check it out. Long Live Viktor!

      • gravenimage says

        Feb 16, 2020 at 10:56 pm

        APF, I am *no* fan of the hapless Carter, but your idea that the US deposed the Shah for the Mullahs is quite mistaken, We just didn’t do anything to stop it.

  6. RichardL says

    Feb 15, 2020 at 8:04 pm

    I don’t think anyone questions his support for Soleimani and Rouhani. And nobody who is sane questions his hatred for the US.

  7. gravenimage says

    Feb 15, 2020 at 8:26 pm

    Detroit: Imam “sad and heartbroken” after being questioned over his support for Soleimani
    ………………………

    Call him a wambulance!

    • David says

      Feb 18, 2020 at 12:29 pm

      Or maybe an islambulance! (lol)

  8. somehistory says

    Feb 15, 2020 at 9:57 pm

    He was not really “sad” and “heartbroken.” He was **scared** and **sweating bullets.** He sees his cushy life here, continuing as he has been, in jeopardy…after having heard what the judge did to that other terrorist…stripped of his “citizenship” and probably facing deportation.

    This creep…this lair, deceiver, and supporter of terror, can go right back to iran. Perhaps he can be a “faith” guy and a “peace” guy for their navy again.

  9. OREN WYSOCKI says

    Feb 15, 2020 at 11:26 pm

    Imagine how sweet the news will be one day. We will say these official representatives of the muslim leftist empire will never stop lying. Why should I listen to A man stand there and pretend to be oblivious to all aggression and human rights offenses by various muslims, while attacking Jews, Israeli and america? I can do that to you know, the eskimos keep murdering the aborigines, anybody who covers up eskimo crimes is A racist and facebook should suspend their access to the internet immediately.
    There are hundreds of millions of muslims who are not as full of bs, who will be more honest about believing that the human being should be ruled by violence, that women and Jews should not have equal rights before the law. If only we had more right wing media, we could go talk to them instead of these never ending refuted accusations. I appreciate your site Mr. Spencer, I am just venting some frustrations, and sharing my thoughts. The world media is lame, but your site is less lame than most, and sometimes good. In G-d I trust.

  10. mortimer says

    Feb 16, 2020 at 2:52 am

    Mohamed Ali Elahi has a CONFLICT OF INTEREST … Islam is not compatible with the US constitution.

    Mohamed Ali Elahi will be able to love jihad and HATE the dirty American kufaar to his complete satisfaction in IRAN … and all JihadWatchers devoutly hope he will go there soon.

    General Soleimani was clearly ANTI-AMERICAN and we can imagine no change of American government between the two political parties would have changed Soleimani’s mind.

    • gravenimage says

      Feb 16, 2020 at 11:03 pm

      Muslims want to impose this *here*.

  11. scribblerg says

    Feb 16, 2020 at 3:52 am

    Note the sense of entitlement to anti-American, radical views. Me? I say all immigration is contingent on maintaining loyalty to the U.S. The law should be that if you aren’t born here, you can have your citizenship revoked if you agitate for another nation.

    But we have no self-love or respect. So we allow pieces of garbage like this to live among us.

  12. jewdog says

    Feb 16, 2020 at 6:22 am

    I think Elahi’s way of expressing his love for America is to do everything he can to transform it into a replica of fascist Iran. I hope his affection is unrequited. He should be deported as an enemy agent.

  13. underbed cat says

    Feb 16, 2020 at 7:12 am

    This is good news, a Imam is questioned. During the Obama administration the borders were open, he was able to carry on his travel, the Islamic population and building of mosques tripled and Solemani and the Imam could have been invited to the White House..The deception of the dawah would continue to spread about their mission of peace, which of course is anything but peaceful but a counterstate growing in America and truly a fib for their protection, our freedom of speech would now be classified as hate speech completely made illegal due to a voting block of the United Nations and resolution 1618. Add to that no one would recognize the presence of the Muslim Brotherhood operating in our government to aid in building a counter state insurgency. So just the very fact they questioned this usually protected Imam is a light shining thru the darkness, so now we can do a count, why are there 70 mosques in Houston and surrounding area? Is this the wall of protection for Saudi Arabia?

    The FBI must have flipped a page and read sharia law, Good.

    • David says

      Feb 18, 2020 at 12:34 pm

      “We are a religion of peace, and if you don’t accept that message, we will commit acts of terror until you believe us”

  14. underbed cat says

    Feb 16, 2020 at 7:54 am

    Concerning this Imams trip to South Korea, what was his mission? Did he get an invite to cross into North Korea and meet with the leader of North Korea? Did he ask Kim about a purchase? What is going on in South Korea…..this is a whopper of a concern. Yes? Very good he was questioned…..just hope it was put under scutiny as a threat.

    Knowing Islam makes this trip a threat. The FBI can throw out the CVE and or add to it a requirement to stop the charade and recognize the serious drive to conquer the United States by deception of a protected enemy one who passes inspection for far too long and has the galling hubris to be offended and operates in freedom.

  15. No Muzzies Here says

    Feb 16, 2020 at 8:33 am

    He is a naturalized U.S. citizen but does not love this country, as he claims. In fact, it is unlikely that a loyal member of the Religion of Peace would have any loyalty to this country, since the laws of the Religion of Peace contradict the laws of the U.S. Constitution.

  16. tim gallagher says

    Feb 16, 2020 at 4:11 pm

    This maggot is “heartbroken”. My reaction was that that’s impossible. You have to have a heart to be heartbroken, which is something that evil Muslim scum like this imam do not possess. A heart and any decent human emotions are things that Muslim imams simply don’t have. It would be great if they found a way to throw this enemy piece of garbage out and sent him back to Iran.

    • PRCS says

      Feb 16, 2020 at 10:50 pm

      It would be nice to send him packing, of course, but not until a thorough investigation into his various applications have been investigated.
      Amazing–to me–that he ‘made it through’ with his Iranian background.

      BTW: seems that the fires there are finally being brought under control.

      • gravenimage says

        Feb 16, 2020 at 11:06 pm

        I hope authorities investigate all of his associates, as well.

        • PRCS says

          Feb 17, 2020 at 1:15 am

          A thorough review of the documents he used should expose at least some of them; including the DHS folks who may have ‘overlooked’ his past.

      • tim gallagher says

        Feb 17, 2020 at 4:29 am

        If the USA is like Australia, PRCS, although I think the USA would be tougher, this imam won’t be thrown out. He’d probably appeal any decision for years, probably finding a way to use taxpayers’ dollars. I suppose that the weather conditions in many countries do lurch from one extreme to the other, but, yes, the fires have been put out by extensive and pretty heavy rain in many areas. Flooding rains and damaging winds, etc, have torn through some areas. About a week ago, in the area of Sydney where I live, there was indeed a pretty ferocious storm with extremely heavy rain and some very strong winds and some areas in the north of New South Wales, the state where I live, have had some huge rain falls. So, it has been one extreme to the other in many areas. It has been a pretty terrible summer with over a thousand houses burnt down, people killed , etc. So the rain has been very welcome because the fires seemed to be going on forever. At least the firefighters, who must have been unbelievably weary, can have a rest.

        • PRCS says

          Feb 18, 2020 at 1:47 am

          1. He’d probably appeal any decision for years, probably finding a way to use taxpayers’ dollars.
          With you on that.

          2, “So, it has been one extreme to the other in many areas.”

          Same here, Tim.

          While rainfall does help beat down such fires, the floods which follow heavy rains in areas where fires have destroyed trees/shrubs can be just as devastating as the fires.

    • David says

      Feb 18, 2020 at 12:36 pm

      Did he walk back to Iraq? No, Iran. (lol)

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