Mosque Opening Sparks Scrutiny for El-Sayed
Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed (D.) joined controversial clerics at the grand opening of the Islamic Institute of America's new $16 million mosque in Dearborn Heights, Mich., last month. The event featured Fadhel Al-Sahlani, a cleric who has downplayed Holocaust deaths, and Hassan al-Qazwini, the mosque's imam who has promoted antisemitic conspiracy theories and praised Hezbollah leaders.
El-Sayed called it an "honor and a privilege" to commemorate the 67,000-square-foot facility, which includes five golden domes and received $2 million from Iraq's prime minister. "This is an incredible masjid," he said. The candidate's appearance comes as he courts Michigan's large Muslim and Arab communities ahead of a high-stakes Senate race that could determine control of the chamber.
Controversial Associations Resurface
Al-Sahlani has publicly lauded Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel, calling it a "great change" for the Arab world. Al-Qazwini, whose father was appointed by Iran's founding Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, has claimed ISIS is linked to Israel and described Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) as "honorable… even though he is a Jew." Sanders's campaign previously denounced al-Qazwini's rhetoric as antisemitic.
El-Sayed has faced prior criticism for campaigning with Hasan Piker, a streamer who said "America deserved 9/11." The Senate hopeful has avoided commenting on issues like the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to avoid alienating voters in Dearborn, where his campaign strategy calls have emphasized caution.
Al-Qazwini's views on social issues, including opposition to LGBTQ+ rights, contrast with El-Sayed's progressive platform. In 2015, the imam called the Supreme Court's gay marriage ruling a "sad moment" and criticized "the lobbying of homosexual groups."
El-Sayed's campaign did not respond to requests for comment. The event marks the latest chapter in a race where ties to controversial figures could shape voter perceptions in one of 2024's most watched contests.