Trump’s inauguration will reportedly include a Muslim cleric who would not condemn Hezbollah

A Muslim cleric who praised Iran and refused to call Hezbollah a terrorist organization was reportedly tapped to deliver a blessing on Inauguration of President-elect Trump.

Husham Al-Husainy is a well-known Iraqi-American imam in Michigan, who oversees the Karbalaa Islamic Education Center in Dearborn. Al-Husainy was among Muslim voters in Michigan who indicated before Election Day that they would support Trump over the Democratic ticket in November.

“I’m leaning towards Mr. Trump because I found him closer Bible, Torah and Koran. Because I support peace, no war,” he said back in October, Fox News Digital reported at the time. He added that the country “deserves to have a strong leader who can bring peace to this world.”

Before giving his support to the former and future president, Al-Husainy reportedly made a series of questionable comments. For example, the Washington-based nonprofit Middle East Media and Research Institute reported this week that a Muslim cleric praised Iran in a 2022 interview.

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“Thank God we have the Islamic Republic of Iran; its light goes to Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen and everywhere,” he said in an interview, the non-profit organization posted on X.

Conservative non-profit organization Middle East Forum described the cleric as a “radical anti-Semitic, pro-Hezbollah Shia imam,” who allegedly hosted a 2015 rally in Dearborn where he “wished death on Saudi Arabia” amid the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen’s civil war.

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In 2007, Al-Husainy joined Fox News’ Sean Hannity on “Hannity & Colmes,” where he was questioned about whether he considered Hezbollah a terrorist organization. The cleric joined the program after his invitation to the DNC winter meeting that year to deliver the invocation.

“I’ll ask you again. Is Hezbollah – this is a yes or no question. Is Hezbollah a terrorist organization? Yes or no?” Hannity asked the imam.

“Now if – I’m giving you time to ask me a question. Now give me time to answer it, please,” Al-Husainy said.

“Yes or no?” Hannity continued.

“First of all – first of all, Hezbollah is a Lebanese organization. And I have nothing to do with it. But there is a biblical meaning of Hezbollah. It is in Judaism, Christianity and Islam that it means the people of God, and that means yes,” replied the imam.

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Later in the segment, Hannity again asked if Hezbollah was a terrorist organization.

“This is – your idea of ​​political or… you know what Hezbollah means? I support God’s people,” Al-Husainy said.

The State Department has recognized Hezbollah as a terrorist organization since 1997.

Fox News Digital reached out Trump’s transition team regarding the call and Al-Husainy’s previous comments, but did not receive a response.

Matt Foldi, a former congressional candidate and current editor-in-chief of the Washington Reporter, shared a photo on X this week purportedly showing the official Inauguration Day program, including Al-Husainy, a Catholic priest, the Rev. Frank Mann, Rabbi Ari Berman and a Detroit pastor. , Lorenzo Sewell, should give blessings.

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Fox News Digital also attempted to reach Al-Husainy through the Karbalaa Islamic Education Center, but did not immediately receive a response.

Dearborn, Michigan, is home to the proportionally largest Muslim population in the US and became the birthplace of the “Leave Biden” movement last year when Arab voters spoke out over the administration’s handling of the Gaza conflict. The movement turned into the “abandonment” of Vice President Kamala Harris after Biden dropped out of the race in July, and eventually supported Trump on election day.

Muslim voters overall favored Harris by 32 percentage points in the 2024 election. Trump won 32 percent of their voteswhile Haris won 63%. In 2020, Biden won 64 percent of the Muslim vote, and Trump won 35 percent. Trump has faced mixed support from Muslim and Arab-American voters, but in swing states like Michigan, their support has become especially crucial.

Arab-American voters in Dearborn said after the election that they voted for Trump over Harris to protest her stance on the Israel-Hamas war.

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“They didn’t vote for Trump because they believe Trump is the best candidate,” Arab American News publisher Osama Siblani he told Politico in November. No, they voted for Trump because they want to punish the Democrats and Harris.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Lee contributed to this report.