Inside the pro-Iranian mosques just miles from the White House where imams are accused of radicalizing worshippers against the West

By JAMES REINL, US SENIOR REPORTER Published: 19:34, 25 May 2026 | Updated: 19:34, 25 May 2026 Two Islamic centers located just miles from the White House are at the center of extremism fears amid suspected links to the Iranian regime, the Daily Mail has discovered. Experts are sounding the alarm over the Manassas Mosque in Virginia and the Islamic Education Center in Potomac, Maryland, both located in large Shi'a Muslim communities. They warn the institutions are pushing anti-American ideology and are linked to death threats, a notorious assassination and hardline clerics in Iran. 'Most Americans would be stunned to learn that Iran's religious revolutionaries have cultural outposts just a short drive from the White House,' said Adrian Calamel, a researcher for France 2050, which tracks Iran's influence overseas. The revelations come amid the war between the US and Israel and Iran, which claimed the life of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei among its thousands of its victims. Now the Daily Mail has discovered that the Manassas Mosque hosted a potluck dinner 'honoring our leader,' less than 24 hours after the totalitarian leader's death. The IEC was founded in 1981 while the Manassas Mosque followed in 1994. Both serve the region's growing Shi'a population with religious services, cultural events and education. Iranian-born cleric Abolfazl Bahram Nahidian stands in the elegantly decorated interior of the Manassas Mosque in Virginia The Islamic Education Center in Potomac, Maryland, was founded in 1981, shortly after Iran's Islamist revolution But critics say their origins – and funding – tell a more concerning story. Both institutions have longstanding links to the Alavi Foundation, a New York-based charity accused the foundation of acting as a financial conduit and foreign influence machine for Tehran. Alavi owned the Maryland IEC outright and funded the Virginia mosque, investigators showed. Its successor entity, the Amir Kabir Foundation, is expected to retain some assets and is now under heightened scrutiny. 'They're using a school, library and daily prayers to erode America's secular government and spread radical Islamist ideas that could easily spill over into violence,' said Calamel. But the sites do more than propagandize for the Iranian regime. In May 2024, tensions overflowed outside the IEC in Maryland when a group of anti-regime demonstrators gathered to protest Tehran's policies. An Iranian diplomat identified as Ramezan Soltan-Mohammadi was filmed making throat-slitting gestures toward the protesters. A Maryland court later issued a temporary restraining order against him, according to reports. The case alarmed activists who said it showed how Iran's intimidation tactics could reach US soil. A controversial figure linked to the network is Abolfazl Bahram Nahidian, an Iranian-born cleric who played a key role in founding both centers and continues to serve as imam at the Manassas Mosque. Nahidian has long been a vocal supporter of the Islamic Revolution that transformed Iran in 1979 – and, according to researchers, has spent decades promoting its ideology in the US. An Iranian official reportedly making throat-slitting gestures at a crowd of anti-regime protestors at the IEC Maryland Abolfazl Bahram Nahidian, an Iranian-born cleric who played a key role in founding both centers The Manassas Mosque in Virginia hosted an exhibition praising the sacrifice of Iran's elite military squadrons  A George Washington University report showcased the Alavi Foundation's network of mosques and schools across the US  His past associations have drawn particular scrutiny. He was part of a circle that included Daoud Salahuddin, the American convert who murdered Iranian dissident Ali Akbar Tabatabai in 1980 at his home in Bethesda, Maryland. Salahuddin fled to Iran following the killing. Nahidian was never charged. The Investigative Project on Terrorism, which tracks Islamic extremism, has also documented that Nahidian has expressed support for groups such as Hamas and promoted conspiracy theories, including claims about the origins of the 9/11 attacks. At the Maryland IEC, critics point to the teachings of its resident cleric Ahmad Bahraini as another source of concern. Bahraini has urged followers to resist assimilation into Western society, arguing that secular culture is spiritually empty and in decline. Instead, he has encouraged Muslims to preserve their identity and gradually shape society according to Islamic principles. To supporters, such views fall squarely within religious and intellectual freedom. To critics, they represent something more troubling. For Dexter Van Zile, a researcher at the Middle East Forum, a watchdog on radical Islam, the centers 'shamelessly promote… a pro-mullah, pro-theocratic agenda in the public square.' A display at Manassas Mosque presents Israel as a 'cancer of the Middle East' The Manassas Mosque in Virginia is tucked inside a quiet out-of-town strip mall Within 24 hours of his death, the Manassas Mosque hosted a dinner 'honoring our leader,' according to a flyer for the event 'If they are using a local mosque to essentially promote an anti-American ideology, that's an issue for law enforcement,' he told the Daily Mail. Inside the IEC, that worldview is allegedly reflected not only in sermons but also in its extensive Persian-language library – described by the center as one of the finest of its kind. The collection includes works such as A Closer Look at Christianity by Mohamed Qasem, which critiques the Bible, and Woman and Her Rights by Ayatollah Murtada Mutahhari, which challenges Western feminism and advocates distinct legal roles for men and women, Calamal said. For some observers, the greatest concern lies not with the current generation – but the next. The centers operate educational programs catering to children from pre-kindergarten through high school, offering religious instruction alongside standard curricula. That has drawn comparisons to a sister institution in Houston, where a now-infamous video in 2022 sparked outrage nationwide. The footage showed children waving flags and wearing red headbands associated with martyrdom as they sang in praise of Iran's leadership, including Khamenei and figures tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The video quickly went viral before being deleted – but not before igniting a firestorm. 'These kids were technically brainwashed,' said Texas-based Iranian-American activist Reza Soltani. 'It was all propaganda to show that even Iranian American kids overseas are ready to die for their supreme leader.' A mosque complex in Houston where children were seen wearing martyr-style headbands and chanting support for the Supreme Leader in a 2022 video Alleged assassin Dawud Salahuddin, an African-American convert to Islam, seen in Tehran in 2014 after he fled the US The shoppers who frequent the Alavi Foundation-owned 650 Fifth Avenue building are often unaware of its ties to Iran's mullahs Not everyone agrees with such stark assessments. Many Muslims – including those who attend the centers – argue that preserving religious identity and cultural heritage is both natural and protected under the US Constitution. But critics say the combination of factors surrounding the IEC and the Manassas Mosque is uniquely concerning. For Iranian-American activist Kasey Zang, the question is not whether concern is justified – but why action has been so slow. 'I'm just surprised these places are still open, what are they waiting for, some bad thing happen?' he said. The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. 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