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U.S. Mosques Hold Memorials for Khamenei, Prompting Backlash and Renewed Scrutiny

New footage praising the slain Iranian leader has renewed questions about U.S. mosques once linked to an Iran‑funded charity.

Overview

  • Manassas Mosque in Virginia advertised a Sunday iftar and mourning program for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, referring to him as “our leader” and “His Eminence” in an Instagram flyer that was later deleted.
  • Video published by MEMRI from a Dearborn Heights, Michigan service shows speakers eulogizing Khamenei and delivering sharply anti‑U.S. remarks, including unconfirmed casualty claims sourced to Iranian officials and media.
  • Both the Manassas center and Dearborn’s Islamic House of Wisdom were named in a July 2023 House Republican letter that cited suspected regime influence and past ties to Iran’s Alavi Foundation.
  • Tax filings previously cited by investigators show Manassas Mosque received roughly $193,000 from the Alavi Foundation in 2004–2005, a group long scrutinized by the U.S. government over alleged links to Tehran.
  • Republican lawmakers publicly condemned the memorials and urged punitive actions against supporters, while no new government enforcement tied specifically to these events has been reported.