Who is Imam Husham Al-Husainy, the radical Islamist who will participate in Trump's inauguration ceremony?

Donald Trump, who will be sworn in as president on January 20, invited controversial radical imam Husham Al-Husainy, among other religious figures, to give his blessing to the president-elect at the inauguration ceremony.

Al-Husainy, director of Karbalaa, a leading Islamic education center in Dearborn (Michigan), the first Arab-majority city in the country, has a past of strong anti-Semitic statements and Islamic terrorism.

Support for Hezbollah

In 2007, during an interview with Sean Hannity for FOX News, Al-Husainy refused to label Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.

"First of all — first of all, Hezbollah is a Lebanese organization," he said. He added: "And I’ve got nothing to do with that. But there is a biblical meaning of Hezbollah. It is in Judaism and Christianity and Islam meaning people of God."

A year earlier, he participated in a pro-Hezbollah rally in Dearborn. During the rally, Al-Husainy took the stage with an image of the terrorist group's then-leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was eliminated by Israel last September.

Anti-Semitic statements

In addition, during a protest he wished death on the Saudis for their intervention in the civil war in Yemen and called them "agents of the Jews."

Tribute to Qassem Soleimani

After the death of Qassem Soleimani, the Iranian Quds Force commander killed by the United States in January 2020 during Trump's presidency, Al-Husainy honored the terrorist leader with a tribute on Facebook.

Support for terrorism against Israel

In addition, during a televised debate with a Christian pastor on Abn Sat, an Arabic-language Christian media outlet, Al-Husainy said he foresaw "good news" from the Quran about an imminent attack on Israel and Muslims taking control of Jerusalem.

Opposition to Trump

Likewise, journalist Daniel Greenfield posted on X that the imam has expressed support for a pro-Iran and anti-Trump protest during the president-elect's previous term in office.

The rapprochement with Trump

During the last election campaign, Trump urged figures from the Islamic world, including Al-Husainy, to convince Arab Americans to support him, as he needed to gain an advantage in Michigan, a state with a large Muslim population and often key in elections.

Al-Husainy told the Financial Times a week before the election, "I just want to see the world be more stable." He expressed confidence that Trump would end the wars in Gaza and Ukraine.

The Middle East Forum, a conservative organization focused on radical Islam, described Al-Husainy as an "extremist, anti-Semitic, pro-Hezbollah Shiite imam."

Others will offer their blessings at the inauguration ceremony, including Rabbi Ari Berman, president of Yeshiva University; Senior Pastor Lorenzo Sewell from Church 180 in Detroit; and the Rev. Father Frank Mann from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn.