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.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.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Is AIPAC’s political standing declining in the US?list 2 of 3US Democrats finalise major shakeup to 2028 presidential primary calendarlist 3 of 3Most US Democrats in early 2028 primary states oppose aid to Israel: Pollend of list“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.”