Imam who prayed before Congress faces formal rebuke after celebrating Graham's death
FIRST ON FOX: A Texas imam invited to pray before Congress is facing backlash on Capitol Hill after celebrating Sen. Lindsey Graham's death in a social media post that wished...
By Fox News · Fox News
FIRST ON FOX: A Texas imam invited to pray before Congress is facing backlash on Capitol Hill after celebrating Sen. Lindsey Graham's death in a social media post that wished him "an eternity in ruins" over his support for Israel. Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, plans to introduce a resolution on Wednesday that would formally condemn Omar Suleiman, the president and co-founder of the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research, near Dallas. "In other news, Lindsey Graham is dead," Suleiman wrote on social media early Sunday morning, shortly after news broke that Graham had died. "Bye Lindsey. May you live an eternity in ruins for the ruins you helped create in Gaza. Ameen." Van Duyne, who represents the suburban Dallas district where Suleiman lives, said Congress must condemn his incendiary message, pointing to his 2019 opening prayer before the House, which he delivered at Democrats' invitation. JOY REID MOCKS MEDIA MOURNING OF LINDSEY GRAHAM, SAYS 'HELL OPENED ITS DOORS FOR AT LEAST ONE MORE' "This type of action from a religious leader that claims to preach about love and not hate needs to be condemned," Van Duyne told Fox News Digital in an interview. "That was anything but love. That was depravity." "Is this really what you believe—that you're going to take a sitting senator who has just died, and you're going to condemn his soul to an eternity of ruins because you don't agree with his politics?" she continued. Graham, who served in Congress for decades, was a leading advocate for Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza and the United States’ months-long conflict with Iran. He was also a fierce defender of Ukraine, Taiwan and those living under authoritarian regimes. Van Duyne said she is talking with leadership about putting her resolution on the floor and hopes Democrats will support it. "It needs to be condemned by those Democrats who called him to the House floor to preach," the Texas lawmaker said. "I would love to be able to get Democrats who are on the floor who don…