A prominent Shiite organization in Dearborn, Michigan, held a memorial for the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei over the weekend, honoring him for his “martyrdom” while accusing Americans of being led by Satan.
“We’re gathered here today to commemorate the martyrdom of the great leader of our time, Sayyid Ali Hussein Khamenei,” said Hassan Salamey, one of the speakers at the memorial held at the Hadi Institute on Sunday, a day after U.S. and Israeli forces executed Khamenei and other top Iranian officials in Operation Epic Fury.
Footage of the service went viral after being shared by the nonprofit Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) on X.
Dearborn Shiite Mosque Memorial for Khamenei: This Country Was Built by Devil-Worshipers; Statue of Liberty Is Lucifer; Khamenei Was the Great Leader of Our Time, Received Martyrdom After 86 Years of Jihad – We Want Our Children to Grow Up with This Culture pic.twitter.com/PDYfHMi9A4
— MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) March 3, 2026
Salamey, a poet and lawyer, went on to recite poetry accusing the U.S. of being built by “devil-worshipers” on “stolen land” and being controlled by “devil-worshiping Freemasons,” with references to the Masonic “one-eye devil” on the dollar bill.
He also mentioned the so-called “Epstein Class,” and explicitly called the Statue of Liberty “Lucifer.”
“We might think this was an attack led by Zionist Jews, but the commander of their mission is the very one who was trying to prove that Adam was not worth prostrating to: Iblis [Satan] is the one behind the scenes, leading their camp; in the shadows, lurking, irking in their symbology, their ideologies, their psychology, their economy, claiming they follow the laws of Moses in Deuteronomy.”
“Iblis [Satan] is the hidden commander of today’s society.”
“Regardless of the stooge we put at the desk of the Oval Office, Republican or Democrats, or even if 1,000 elections come to pass, it is clear that this country was built for and built by the Epstein class and that, just like Palestine, we live on stolen land,” he continued.
Salamey’s poem claimed America was founded by “devil-worshiping Freemasons” and that Christopher Columbus was “Zionist-minded” and “genocided the natives.” He went on to say “the Statue of Liberty is actually Lucifer, demonic bearer holding a torch of light.”
The video also showed congregants invoking “the Mahdi,” who is considered the “final imam” who will appear to restore justice at the end of the world, according to the eschatology of the Twelver Shia Islam that prevailed among the late Iranian leadership.
Usama Abdulghani, imam at the Hadi Institute, offered both condolences and congratulations to Khamenei for achieving “this ultimate honor” after “86 years of jihad in the way of Allah.”
Abdulghani, who in 2024 mourned the deaths of other Islamic radicals and told congregants they “should enjoy [Khamenei] while he is still alive,” expressed particular appreciation to the mothers who brought their young children to the memorial, “so that our children will grow up with this culture, where we remember our martyrs and we’re not ashamed of them.”
A similar service honoring Khamenei took place in Manassas, Virginia, outside Washington, D.C., according to Fox News.
Many commenters on X, including some lawmakers, responded to the clip from Dearborn by expressing alarm that Muslims who harbor such beliefs are in the United States.
“This is in Michigan. In the United States,” posted Vickie Paladino, a member of the New York City Council.
“We have a Muslim problem in America,” tweeted Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., who has been an outspoken supporter of the attack against Iran.
Dearborn has become an epicenter of Islamic immigration in the U.S., and its 36-year-old mayor, Abdullah Hammoud, made international headlines last fall when he clashed with Evangelical Pastor Ted Barham during a contentious city council meeting.
When Barham voiced his opposition to naming two street signs in the city after Osama Siblani, an Arab American leader who praised former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Hammoud called him “a bigot,” “a racist” and “an Islamophobe” who was “not welcome” in Dearborn.
Barham, who responded by invoking God’s blessing upon Hammoud, told The Christian Post in an interview last fall that he hoped his viral exchange with the mayor showed the attitude that prevails against non-Muslims when Muslims achieve political power. He cited his own experiences in attempting to preach the Gospel in enclaves of the West — such as parts of London — where Muslims have become the majority.
“In Muslim countries, we are silenced because of Sharia law; and in Western countries, we’re silenced under the slur ‘Islamophobia,'” Barham told CP. “So we don’t have full freedom of faith and freedom of speech as Christians anywhere in the world.”
“And if we lose that freedom here in America, then we’ve lost it everywhere,” he said, but added Christians must always remember the Lord’s command not to be afraid.
Islam is projected to surge in the West during the coming decades, driven primarily by immigration and higher fertility rates compared to non-Muslim populations, according to the Pew Research Center.
Jon Brown is a reporter for The Christian Post. Send news tips to [email protected]
