Despite Photos, Duggan Claims Not to Know Pro-Iran Extremist Imam
Other state Democrats who have appeared with the leader of the Islamic House of Wisdom refuse to comment
Last week, Michigan Enjoyer broke the story of the Democratic Party’s ties to an Iranian regime-linked cleric. So far, Democrats have been mum. That is not true of former Democratic Mike Duggan, who was also implicated.
Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi leads the Islamic House of Wisdom in Dearborn Heights. Before his move to the U.S., Elahi was reportedly embedded in Iranian regime institutions. In Michigan, he has cultivated close ties with prominent Democrats and has publicly supported the late Supreme Leader Khamenei and the terrorist organization Hezbollah. Elahi has maintained current ties to the Iranian regime, meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in 2025.
Regime-linked Hezbollah terrorists killed 241 U.S. service personnel on Oct. 23, 1983, in Lebanon. The Iranian regime killed six American servicemembers in a drone attack last week. Elahi has expressed vehement support for Hezbollah, according to a report issued by the Program on Extremism at George Washington University.
Given the long-term and ongoing conflict between the U.S. and the Iranian regime, and the brutal atrocities that the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei committed against Iranians and many others, Democrats have some explaining to do.
Duggan’s campaign promptly issued a statement. When asked about Duggan’s relationship to Elahi, the campaign responded, “Mayor Duggan has attended numerous political events in Wayne County over the years and has no recollection of where the photo in your story was taken. Elahi has never been a donor to Mayor Duggan and the mayor has no information about his background or politics.”
But Duggan appears in multiple pictures with Imam Elahi, visited Elahi’s mosque in 2015, and has shared a platform with Elahi several times. Both spoke and shared a table at a 2019 Democracy Party dinner. The pair were pictured with John Conyers at a 2017 NAACP event. Elahi spoke during the event. Both men spoke at a 60th anniversary civil rights commemoration held at Huntington Place in 2023. Duggan also participated in a 2020 interfaith Zoom meeting with Elahi.
Presented with these facts, Duggan’s campaign reiterated its position, “In his 12 year tenure, Mayor Duggan constantly reached out to congregations of all faiths, visiting 40-50 churches, mosques, and synagogues each year. He attended close to 1,000 political events in that time and greeted and took photos with people at each of them. The Mayor does not know Imam Elahi any more than the many others across the political spectrum he encountered over the years.”
While Duggan denies knowledge, Imam Elahi presents a more difficult political challenge for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and her close ally, and Democratic Secretary of State hopeful, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist.
Elahi spoke at Whitmer’s second inauguration and Gilchrist’s campaign has taken donations from Elahi in 2025. According to Imam Elahi, he attended a Ramadan Iftar at Whitmer’s Lansing residence in 2019. Elahi also presented a prayer at a Democratic Party event on the eve of the 2022 elections. Elahi has given prayers at other events, including a 2020 Whitmer Covid update.
While readers might question Duggan’s claims based on the evidence, it is clear Duggan is not afraid to answer tough questions—unless they come from Charlie LeDuff. Meanwhile, the Democrats are unwilling to respond to questions about their links to Imam Elahi, let alone formulate sufficient answers.
Michigan Enjoyer reached out to Governor Whitmer’s press secretary, Lt. Governor Gilchrist, Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel, Jr., Congresswoman Dingell, and other Democrats linked to Imam Elahi asking for comment. None have responded.
