American-Iranian Shiite scholar Hamza Sodagar said that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wanted Islam to grow within the United States through Muslims already living there.
Speaking at a March 3 memorial for Khamenei at a mosque in Richmond, Texas, Sodagar described his involvement in establishing Iranian-linked Shiite seminaries in the United States and Canada. He said these seminaries were connected to Al-Mustafa International University in Qom and were part of a broader effort under Khamenei’s direction to spread Islam internationally, including specifically within the United States.
During his remarks, Sodagar praised several prominent figures of Iran’s revolutionary movement, including Islamic Republic founder Ruhollah Khomeini and former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. He also spoke about what he described as the “Islamic resistance.” The gathering included Islamic chants and prayers referencing Khamenei, whom Sodagar described as being in Paradise alongside IRGC Qods Force commander Qasem Soleimani and Nasrallah.
Sodagar further prayed for strength for fighters he referred to as “mujahideen” in several countries across the Middle East, including Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Syria, and Iran.