El-Sayed says Republican attacks trade in Islamophobia

DETROIT (MNTV) — Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for a U.S. Senate seat in Michigan, has accused Republicans of relying on Islamophobic attacks rather than addressing economic and social issues, following his primary victory.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee, the party’s Senate campaign arm, portrayed El-Sayed as radical and emphasized his full name in its messaging. 

Human rights experts say the approach echoes past attacks on Muslim and Arab American figures, using names and identities to sow suspicion rather than engage policy. 

The campaign also revived claims linking El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood, which he has repeatedly rejected.

His Republican opponent, former congressman Mike Rogers, accused him of holding extreme views on national security and the September 11 attacks.

El-Sayed’s supporters said the allegations aim to associate a Muslim candidate with terrorism without evidence.

 “They want to use my whole name against me,” El-Sayed said, urging opponents to focus on his policies, and arguing that being Muslim and Arab American does not stop him from representing Michigan residents.

El-Sayed, a physician and former public health official, has pressed to keep the race on healthcare, affordability, wages, and foreign policy. 

Civil rights advocates warn that campaigns trading in religious or ethnic stereotypes risk normalizing discrimination and discouraging minority communities from public life, while some argue candidates should still face scrutiny over security positions. 

The race has placed questions of Islamophobia, identity, and representation at the center of a contest in a state with one of the country’s largest Arab and Muslim populations.