In Michigan, the Democratic Senate candidate, Abdul El-Sayed, finds himself in the spotlight due to his past involvement with an organization allegedly linked to terrorism. During a 2007 protest, he notably objected to a speaking event featuring three individuals who described themselves as former terrorists and who shared their stories of conversion to Christianity. This protest took place at the University of Michigan.
According to a report from the Michigan Daily, the speakers—Walid Shoebat, Zachariah Annani, and Kamal Saleem—attended various events in the 2000s, recounting their time with the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Muslim Brotherhood before turning to Christianity.
The protest included a walkout by students, which El-Sayed publicly supported, expressing pride in their actions and emphasizing the importance of continued activism.
His campaign spokesperson, Cole Wozniak, stated that El-Sayed has “unequivocally denounced terrorism.” Wozniak argued that the candidate had protested against these speakers because they were criticized by many, including national security experts, for spreading misinformation and modifying their personal histories. The statement also pointed out that attacks from Mike Rogers, El-Sayed’s Republican opponent, seem driven by an attempt to distract from pressing issues like the rising costs of gas and groceries in Michigan.
There have long been concerns about the backgrounds of the three speakers, as some organizations questioned their narratives and connections to terrorism. Various Arab-American civil rights groups called for accountability, highlighting contradictions in their public personas, especially after these individuals were seen speaking publicly in various venues.
Event organizers argued the intention was educational, aimed at discussing the threats posed by radical extremism, whereas the protesters believed the event unfairly generalized an entire group of people.
At the time of the protest, El-Sayed was the vice president of the Muslim Students Association (MSA), an organization that has been linked to the Muslim Brotherhood—an entity which the U.S. government has scrutinized for possible terrorist affiliations. This scrutiny increased after a request from the White House to analyze the organization’s chapters for potential foreign terrorist designations.
Over the years, the MSA has played a role in fostering the presence of the Muslim Brotherhood in the U.S., primarily through campus activities.
As of now, the MSA has not commented on these accusations or the broader implications surrounding them. Additionally, the Trump administration made efforts to designate parts of the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations, focusing on chapters associated with Hamas in the wake of recent events in the Middle East.
