Abdul El-Sayed uses speech to talk about Muslim faith and American identity

The Michigan Senate hopeful spoke about his faith and the experiences of Muslim Americans.

Abdul El-Sayed answers questions during a town hall event in Waterford, Michigan, September 3, 2026 [Emily Elconin/Getty Images/AFP]

The Democratic Senate candidate for the US state of Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed , has used a speech in Detroit to discuss Muslim American identity, while also blasting the US and Israel’s war on Iran.

At the Annual Islamic Society Conference on Saturday, the 41-year-old Democrat and public health advocate, who has been on the receiving end of Islamophobic remarks during this election cycle, addressed Islamophobia in the US.

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“We find ourselves in a moment now, where as people point to us, Muslim Americans, they want to tell us that we don’t belong,” he told the crowd. “They want to tell us that this country is not ours. They want to tell us that because of our names and how we pray, somehow we are less than. But as I look in front of me, I see people who contribute to that big America every single day.”

El-Sayed, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for the US Senate seat in November’s midterms, will face a high-stakes general election battle against Republican Mike Rogers. The former US Representative is backed by President Donald Trump.

After weeks of trading barbs online, the two candidates have finally agreed to hold two televised debates, the first on October 8 at Wood TV8 in Grand Rapids, the second on October 21 at WXYZ-TV in Detroit.

Addressing the state of Muslim American belonging, El-Sayed said that “at their best, being Muslim makes us better Americans … and being American enables us to be better Muslims,” he said. He added that the two sets of ideals are “not mutually exclusive.”

During his speech, El-Sayed also questioned the US government’s spending priorities under Trump against the backdrop of continuing military escalations and overseas quagmires.

“How are you gonna pay for that [war in Iran] while we know our infrastructure is crumbling and our literacy rates are tumbling?” he asked the crowd. “It’s time for us to focus on addressing the problems that people in our country need solved.”

Travelling across the Midwestern state in recent weeks, El-Sayed said that he found residents’ concerns transcended religious, racial and geographic divides. He said they were “basic needs” like paying for groceries and gas “instead of dropping bombs or doing apartheid or genocide against somebody else and their kids”, referring to Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza.

“Michiganders don’t care how you pray,” he said. “They care what you pray for and what you hope for.”

这位密歇根州参议员候选人谈到了他的信仰和美国穆斯林的经历。

2026年9月3日，阿卜杜勒·埃尔-赛义德在密歇根州沃特福德举行的市政厅活动上回答问题。[Emily Elconin/Getty Images/AFP]

美国密歇根州民主党参议员候选人阿卜杜勒·埃尔-赛义德在底特律发表讲话，讨论了美国穆斯林的身份认同，同时抨击了美国和以色列对伊朗的战争。

周六，在年度伊斯兰协会会议上，这位 41 岁的民主党人和公共卫生倡导者谈到了美国的伊斯兰恐惧症问题。他在本届选举周期中一直受到仇视伊斯兰教言论的攻击。

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民调显示，2028年初美国民主党初选州的多数民主党人反对向以色列提供援助（共3项）。

“我们现在所处的境地，人们指着我们这些美国穆斯林，想要告诉我们，我们不属于这里，”他告诉人群。“他们想要告诉我们，这个国家不属于我们。他们想要告诉我们，仅仅因为我们的名字和我们的祈祷方式，我们就低人一等。但当我环顾四周，我看到的是每天都在为这个伟大的美国做出贡献的人们。”

埃尔-赛义德正在争取民主党提名，竞选11月举行的美国参议院席位，他将在大选中与共和党候选人迈克·罗杰斯展开一场激烈的角逐。这位前美国众议员得到了唐纳德·特朗普总统的支持。

经过数周的网上口水战，两位候选人终于同意举行两场电视辩论，第一场于 10 月 8 日在格兰德拉皮兹的 Wood TV8 电视台举行，第二场于 10 月 21 日在底特律的 WXYZ-TV 电视台举行。

谈及美国穆斯林的归属感，埃尔-赛义德表示，“在最好的情况下，身为穆斯林能让我们成为更好的美国人……而身为美国人也能让我们成为更好的穆斯林。”他还补充说，这两种理念“并非相互排斥”。

在演讲中，埃尔-赛义德还质疑了特朗普领导下的美国政府在持续军事升级和海外泥潭背景下的支出优先事项。

他问在场的民众：“我们明明知道基础设施正在崩溃，识字率也在下降，你们打算如何支付那场（伊朗战争的）费用？现在是我们集中精力解决国家人民亟需解决的问题的时候了。”

埃尔-赛义德最近几周走访了该州中西部地区，他表示，他发现居民们的诉求超越了宗教、种族和地域的界限。他说，这些诉求是“基本需求”，比如支付食品杂货和汽油的费用，“而不是投掷炸弹、对他人及其子女实施种族隔离或种族灭绝”，他指的是以色列在加沙发动的种族灭绝战争。

“密歇根人不在乎你如何祈祷，”他说。“他们在乎的是你祈祷什么，以及你希望什么。”