Abdul El-Sayed makes history as first muslim US senator
Photo: Reuters
Pro-Palestinian Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has been elected senator from the US state of Michigan. Defeating Republican candidate Mike Rogers, he has become the first Muslim in the country’s history to win a seat in the Senate.
El-Sayed secured approximately 52 percent of the total votes. He won by a margin of nearly 252,000 votes over his rival.
Islamophobic attacks were directed at El-Sayed during his election campaign. The Egyptian American physician and progressive politician was also repeatedly targeted by President Donald Trump, who even called him a “jihadist.” At an election rally in Michigan, Trump said, “He is the only one who has to go through a metal detector before entering the Senate.”
El-Sayed also faced opposition from within his own party. In August, he secured the Democratic nomination by defeating Haley Stevens by nearly 15,000 votes in the party’s primary election. Stevens later broke with her party’s position and endorsed Republican candidate Mike Rogers. Reports said nearly $30 million was spent in support of El-Sayed’s rival, Stevens.
After his victory, El-Sayed said, “America’s greatness is not about ignoring its weaknesses, but about having the courage to correct them.”
Opposing US military operations abroad, he also said, “It shouldn’t be this hard to make sure that our tax dollars are spent on ourselves and our children, not on bombing somebody else’s children.”
El-Sayed’s parents immigrated to the United States from Egypt. He was born and raised in Rochester Hills, Michigan. A physician by profession, El-Sayed previously served as the health director of Wayne County.
Bangladeshi poet and journalist Ishtiaq Rupu, who lives in Michigan, said young voters turned out in remarkable numbers in the election. In his words, “Young people in Michigan have staged a revolution.”
He believes Michigan voters not only supported El-Sayed but also expressed their lack of confidence in Trump. He claimed that many Republicans also voted for El-Sayed. According to him, all expatriate Bangladeshis supported El-Sayed, who also emerged as a favored candidate among the Bangladeshi community.
