Abdul El-Sayed’s Comments on Religious Obligations Resurface

Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed recently had a 2009 interview with the New York Times come back into focus, where he discussed his commitment to Islamic law. He expressed a sense of religious duty to adhere to practices aligned with Sharia. In his words, “Ultimately, the question is, when I die and stand before God… I don’t want to say I did it the easy way instead of the Sharia-compliant way.” He emphasized that his choices stemmed not from fear but from a sense of obligation.

At the time, El-Sayed was in medical school, explaining his decision to pursue a Sharia-compliant mortgage for a condo in Ann Arbor. This approach is common among many Muslim Americans who prefer payment structures that avoid interest, which is generally prohibited under Sharia law.

In addition to prohibiting interest, Sharia law has been known to impose strict penalties for apostasy from Islam and places significant restrictions on women’s rights, along with permitting child marriage.

His campaign spokesperson later reiterated that El-Sayed supports the separation of church and state. She noted that, like many Americans of diverse faiths, he practices his beliefs personally but stands against attempts to integrate religious laws into U.S. legislation. El-Sayed has also spoken against efforts to outlaw Sharia law, framing them as rooted in white supremacy.

When discussing broader issues related to civil rights, El-Sayed referenced past injustices, suggesting that there are parallels between historic oppression and recent actions against Muslim Americans. He pointed out, “You can’t understand the challenges we face today without understanding white supremacy.”

El-Sayed is known for adopting progressive positions on various social issues. However, he has faced scrutiny over his connections with controversial figures associated with the Nation of Islam, notably Louis Farrakhan, who has been criticized for making inflammatory remarks.

As of now, El-Sayed’s campaign has not made any public comments regarding the recent resurfacing of his past statements.