In his September 13, 2024 Friday sermon at the Imam Al-Asr Masjid in Washington, D.C., Sulayman Hassan Abidi said that he and “every reasonable Muslim” should pray that Allah “put to death” anyone who oppresses Muslims. He asked if when this happens and Allah has caused them to die, “will you not be happy?” The sermon was streamed live on the mosque’s YouTube channel. Sulayman Hassan Abidi is the president and religious director of the Shiite Imam Al-Asr Masjid, Shahe Najaf Islamic Center of Washington D.C., and he spent several years studying in Qom, Iran prior to returning to the U.S. to take up religious positions at various Shiite communities.