Michigan imam celebrated Graham’s death, prayed for Trump to die before El-Sayed win

A leading Muslim cleric in Michigan expressed reverence for the passing of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and urged congregants to pray for President Donald Trump's demise before advocating for the election of Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed, who secured the party's nomination for the state's U.S. Senate seat earlier this week.

During a July 17 Friday sermon at the Islamic Institute of America in Dearborn Heights, the cleric, Mohammad Baqer Qazwini, announced the "very good news" of Graham's death, claiming that the deceased senator's soul had been taken to hell by God. Qazwini accused Graham of culpability in the "genocide in Gaza" and the deaths of Lebanese civilians, describing his demise as a "slap" from Allah that Graham had not expected.

The cleric then turned to Trump, instructing worshippers to raise their hands and pray for Allah to take the "friend of Lindsey Graham," referring to the president, before concluding by calling for victory for Islam and Muslims. Graham, 71, died from an aortic dissection caused by cardiovascular disease on July 11 due to his role as a staunch supporter of Israel and a close ally of former President Donald Trump.

Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, paid tribute to Graham after his death, acknowledging his significant contributions to their nation's security. Two weeks after Qazwini's remarks, the cleric publicly endorsed El-Sayed ahead of Michigan's Democratic Senate primary, emphasizing that Muslims had a responsibility to elect a Muslim candidate who would champion issues important to the Muslim community in the United States.

El-Sayed, a 41-year-old physician and former Detroit health director, narrowly defeated Republican Rep. Haley Stevens to secure the Democratic nomination for the Senate seat, which could determine control of the Senate in November.