On the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed emphasized remembering the victims. This comes after previous remarks he made about the Muslim civilians who lost their lives during subsequent US military actions.
El-Sayed aimed to honor the day in a conventional way, leading a moment of silence at a campaign event on Friday and sharing a 91-second video that reflected on the “cruel act of terror” and the unjust “murder of innocent civilians” by those who sought to undermine American values.
“We all remember where we were when the Twin Towers were hit,” El-Sayed recalled, recounting how he watched live as the second plane struck the South Tower while in his high school chemistry class in a suburb of Detroit.
“The scenes of carnage dominated our screens for weeks and remain etched in our memories,” noted the former public health professor from Columbia University.
“That cruel act of terror led to the deaths of over 3,000 individuals, including brave first responders who rushed into the chaos. Many more were injured, and the repercussions are still felt today.”
“On that day, they didn’t just attack America,” El-Sayed continued. “They attacked the concept of America, a nation united by ideals that transcend individual beliefs about faith or the lack thereof, where freedom and justice are paramount, even if we sometimes struggle to achieve them fully.”
“So, on this 9/11, we commemorate those lives lost in this heinous act of terrorism,” he said.
“There’s no justification for the killing of innocent civilians—none at all. Today, we mourn the victims and their families, as well as the destruction wrought by these terrorists. They attempted to belittle America, to divide us. But they failed.”
“We honor the memories of those lost by doing what the attackers could never accomplish: building an America that is more inclusive and just.”
Later during a campaign stop, he reiterated, “I wanted to take a moment today to remember the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, honoring the lives of 3,000 people, including first responders. Can we observe a moment of silence?”
The 9/11 attacks have come to play a significant role in the Senate race as El-Sayed, the son of Egyptian immigrants, seeks to become the first Muslim senator in the United States. He is competing against former Rep. Mike Rogers, a known proponent of foreign policy matters.
El-Sayed has faced criticism for not distancing himself from his close ally, commentator Hasan Piker, who made a controversial statement in 2019 asserting that “America deserved 9/11.” Piker later retracted this comment.
He drew attention in the lead-up to the anniversary due to a previously deleted tweet where he criticized the foreign wars initiated by the US in the years following 9/11.
In 2021, he tweeted, “Today, I mourn the 3,000 lives lost, along with 6,000 injuries and devastation in NYC, done in ignorance in the name of my faith. Tomorrow, I will mourn approximately a million lives lost, millions injured, and devastation in three countries, done in ignorance in the name of my country.”
Further commenting on a podcast back in 2021, El-Sayed said, “9/11 has left a deep scar on our nation, but the actions taken afterward have devastatingly impacted millions of others.”
He also experienced backlash for not scheduling an official 9/11 remembrance event in his campaign calendar, which instead highlighted a stop at Grand Rapids’ Fiesta Mexicana.
During a recent Republican midterm convention, President Trump labeled El-Sayed an “extremist” and brought attention to his family’s connections.
Trump stated that El-Sayed’s sister “celebrated the terrorist slaughter of babies on October 7th,” while claiming that his mother “worked for an organization that contributed substantial amounts to supporters of Osama bin Laden.”
El-Sayed’s half-sister, Eman Abdelhadi, a professor at the University of Chicago, criticized socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) earlier this year for condemning Hamas’ actions, calling it disappointing.
El-Sayed’s mother, Fatten Elkomy, was employed by the Islamic American Relief Agency from 1999 until 2004, the year it was flagged by the Treasury Department for allegedly financing terrorist activities in Palestine. It should be noted that El-Sayed was raised by his father.
Rogers remarked to The Post earlier this week that El-Sayed has distanced himself from mainstream American values and suggested he would need to undergo a significant change to be taken seriously in the race.
