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Republican lawmakers applaud Trump’s removal of controversial imam from inauguration program

Sen. Thom Tillis called his ouster a ‘no-brainer;’ Sen. Steve Daines said the move was a sign of Trump’s ‘unwavering support of Israel’ and ‘not being afraid to lead boldly’

Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

Imam Husham Al-Husainy of the Karbaala Islamic Institute of America makes the peace sign with his fingers while standing in front of a "Vote for the Iraqi United Alliance" banner December 12, 2005 in Dearborn, Michigan.

Congressional Republicans widely supported President Donald Trump’s decision to pull an imam with controversial views on terrorism as a speaker at his inauguration.

While the Trump transition team declined Jewish Insider’s requests for comment on why it had removed Imam Husham Al-Husainy from speaking at the inaugural benediction, the imam did not appear at Monday’s proceedings despite being listed on an earlier version of the inauguration program. 

Other religious leaders featured on the program — Rabbi Ari Berman, president of Yeshiva University; Senior Pastor Lorenzo Sewell of the 180 Church in Detroit; and Rev. Father Frank Mann of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn — still spoke as planned during the ceremony, which took place in the Capitol Rotunda. 

The senators told JI they welcomed the decision to withdraw Al-Husainy’s speaking role, with several arguing that the move should assuage fears within the Jewish community about Trump’s occasional embrace of controversial figures in the GOP, such as Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens. 

Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) said that, while he understood the Trump administration not wanting to bring attention to the situation, he believed that the president deserved praise for the difficult choice he made. 

“On the one hand, I get [Trump and his team] a little bit,” Cramer told JI. “On the other hand, it was a courageous move that he made and he should get some credit for it. He can straddle a little bit, and I get the play it safe way [of doing things], but I don’t think he ought to do that on Israel or on antisemitism.”

“It is funny that even Donald Trump doesn’t want too much credit for this because he’s got multiple constituencies,” Cramer noted.

“We want somebody that is consistent with the vast majority of Americans, and certainly this administration,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) told JI. “So I think that it was right [to remove Al-Husainy as a speaker]. Actually, I think I’d call it a no-brainer.” 

Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) said that it was “absolutely” the right decision to remove the imam, given the views he’s espoused on terrorist groups like Hezbollah. Daines told JI that he thought the move demonstrated the 47th president’s “unwavering support of Israel” and him “not being afraid to lead boldly to do the right thing.”

Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) said that, while he hadn’t familiarized himself with the details of the situation, he believed that it was a good decision to pull anyone from the inaugural program who had espoused antisemitic or pro-terror views. “If he’s made antisemitic remarks, of course [it’s a good call to remove them from the program],” Budd told JI. 

Al-Husainy, who leads Karbalaa, a prominent Islamic education center in Dearborn, Mich., refused to acknowledge Hezbollah as a terrorist organization in a 2007 interview with Sean Hannity and has been accused of appearing at pro-Hezbollah rallies in Dearborn and Washington. 

Asked by Hannity whether Hezbollah is a terrorist organization,  Al-Husainy answered: “First of all — first of all, Hezbollah is a Lebanese organization, 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 and that means yes.” 

In the interview, Hannity asked, “Will you believe, will you admit that Hezbollah is a terrorist organization, sir?” 

“That is your explanation,” Al-Husainy answered. “Is it?” Hannity asked. “But Hezbollah — sir, you give me time to explain,” Al-Husainy continued. 

“This is a yes or no. Is Hezbollah a terrorist organization? Yes or no? Is Hezbollah…” Hannity asked. “No,” Al-Husainy said. 

“No. They’re not?” Hannity asked again. 

“What are you talking about? What are you talking — which question do you want me to answer?” Al-Husainy said. 

Al-Husainy would have been the first Muslim leader to speak at an American presidential inauguration. During the election, Trump leaned on figures — including Al-Husainy — to convince undecided Arab Americans to join his coalition, especially those in Al-Husainy’s home state of Michigan, a key battleground state.

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