Mojtaba Khamenei

Sheikh Ibrahim Yassine, a resident scholar at the Islamic Institute of America in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, said in an August 14 sermon that Muslims will "build America" on a foundation of Islamic moral civilization, contrasting it with what he called an American culture obsessed with "worldly life" and technology. The remarks, documented and translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), also targeted President Trump, whom Yassine described as having a "sick mentality" over past comments about civilizational conflict.

MEMRI has tracked a pattern of controversial sermons at the institute. Yassine previously mocked Trump over Iran's succession process and praised the late Ayatollah Khamenei, while fellow scholar Mohammad Qazwini celebrated Sen. Lindsey Graham's death and urged prayers against Trump. Institute founder Hassan Qazwini has also pushed congregants to vote for Muslim political candidates and cast Zionist influence in elections as a threat to counter. The institute has additionally hosted memorials for Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah.