Far-Left Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed received loud cheers during his election night speech in Michigan on Tuesday when he used the Arabic phrase “inshallah,” meaning “God willing,” a phrase commonly used by Muslims.
“I want you to remind them, that if we come through this, when we come through this, inshallah —” El-Sayed said before the crowd erupted. The Democrat U.S. Senate hopeful was referring to people skeptical that he can beat Republican Mike Rogers in a general election.
El-Sayed, a former public health official, is projected to defeat Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), who was viewed as a leading contender by many establishment Democrats, in the closely watched race. The race was finally called by Decision Desk HQ on Wednesday morning, with El-Sayed at 48.9% to Stevens’ 47.5%.
The nominee’s “inshallah” remark, and the crowd’s reaction, highlights the rapid growth of Michigan’s Muslim population over the past several decades, particularly in the Detroit metropolitan area, which is home to one of the largest Arab and Muslim communities in the United States. Immigration from places like Somalia, Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and other Muslim-majority nations has transformed the state’s demographics, and subsequently, its politics.
Moreover, if elected to the Senate, El-Sayed would become America’s first Muslim senator, The Daily Wire noted on Wednesday. His parents are both Egyptian immigrants, and his father was a part-time imam. On his wife’s side, his father-in-law is a founding committee member of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), which has close ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, according to the federal government.
El-Sayed’s primary victory also shows the Democratic Party’s accelerating shift toward socialism. The Senate candidate ran on far-Left positions, including Medicare for all, abolishing ICE, defunding the police, restructuring the U.S. Supreme Court, and raising taxes on billionaires.
He also aligned himself with radical streamer Hasan Piker. The pair were seen together at social gatherings and events. Piker has praised communist Mao Zedong, who was responsible for millions of deaths and human rights abuses. “Mao Zedong is one of the great leaders of this world,” he once said, adding that he would “never” criticize Mao. Piker has also faced backlash over comments related to Israel and Jews. For example, he frequently uses the phrase, “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” a slogan many view as a call for the elimination of Israel.
Related: El-Sayed Pushed For Renewed COVID Lockdowns, Fines For Businesses That Defied Them
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