A Muslim cleric once honored with the privilege of opening the U.
S. House of Representatives in prayer is now at the center of a political firestorm after publicly cursing the late Sen. Lindsey Graham with the words, May you live an eternity in ruins..
According to WND, Imam Omar Suleiman of the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research near Dallas posted the remark on social media shortly after reports emerged that Graham had died. The full message, as cited by Fox News, read, In other news, Lindsey Graham is dead. Bye Lindsey. May you live an eternity in ruins for the ruins you helped create in Gaza. Ameen.
The outburst drew immediate attention from Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, who has introduced a resolution seeking a formal congressional condemnation of what she described as a hateful and incendiary statement. Van Duyne argued that Congress has a responsibility to speak out, particularly because Suleiman had previously been elevated by Democrats in 2019 to deliver an opening prayer on the House floor.
Van Duyne told Fox, This type of action from a religious leader that claims to preach about love and not hate needs to be condemned. That was anything but love. That was depravity. Is this really what you believethat youre going to take a sitting senator who has just died, and youre going to condemn his soul to an eternity of ruins because you dont agree with his politics? Her comments underscore a broader concern on the right that radical rhetoric from religious figures aligned with the left is too often excused or ignored when it targets conservatives.
The late senator from South Carolina was one of the most outspoken defenders of Israel in Congress, especially following the October 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack that left some 1,200 Israeli civilians dead. Grahams consistent support for Israel and his backing of its right to defend itself against Hamas and other terrorist groups made him a frequent target of pro-Palestinian activists and Islamist figures.
Van Duyne stressed that Democrats who once celebrated Suleimans presence in the House now have an obligation to denounce his rhetoric. It needs to be condemned by those Democrats who called him to the House floor to preach. I would love to be able to get Democrats who are on the floor who dont agree that this is the type of action that a religious leader should take.
Suleimans invitation to pray before Congress came from former Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, despite his already-controversial record of inflammatory statements. At the time, he had been noted for calling for a third intifada and for branding Zionists as enemies of God, language that many see as openly endorsing violence and demonizing Jews.
The imams latest comments triggered a wave of anger on social media, where users accused the federal government of enabling a dangerous ideology to take root. One commenter wrote, Like a faulty immune system that allows cancer to occur and metastasize, so the U.S. federal government is allowing the terminal disease of Islam to take hold in America. Will the civilian population be forced to go Vigilante Citizen on these animals.
Another user asked bluntly, Why are these hateful beasts even allowed to cohabitate with free and decent people? A third insisted, This is who they are, everyone of them. Congress thinks being nice to them will change them. No, they are born this way, indoctrinated from birth, and they are the largest threat to America. Forget about calling them communists.
A separate commenter highlighted what many conservatives see as the mask slipping from progressive-aligned religious leaders. The user said, They dont even try to hide it. They gleefully celebrate the death of their political adversaries openly on social media, then often act surprised when others react to them with disgust, or if there are consequences. This case is especially repulsive, given that this is supposedly a man of God.
For critics of Suleiman and of the Democrats who elevated him, the episode raises deeper questions about whom Congress chooses to honor and what kind of rhetoric is tolerated when directed at conservative figures. With Van Duyne pressing for a formal rebuke, the controversy now forces lawmakersespecially those on the left who once embraced Suleimanto decide whether they will publicly reject such open contempt for a deceased U.S. senator or quietly look the other way.
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