The more we're learning about Abdul El-Sayed, who beat Haley Stevens in the Michigan Democrat Senate primary a week ago, the more it becomes clear the direction in which the Democrat Party as a whole is headed.
Since nabbing the nomination, we've learned that El-Sayed loves Ilhan Omar and hates Independence Day. He likes open borders and hates the Second Amendment. He hates beautiful Mackinac Island and has mocked the "brown children" of Vice President JD Vance.
Great guy.
Now, an old quote made by El-Sayed to The New York Times back in 2009 has resurfaced and, in it, he pledged his lifelong "obligation" to sharia law. From the Free Beacon's reporting:
"Ultimately, the question is, when I die and I stand before God and go through everything I did in my life, I don't want to say I did it the easy way instead of the Shariah-compliant way. Not because of fear but because of obligation," said El-Sayed, who the Times identified at the time as a 24-year-old medical student and Rhodes scholar who had just taken out a "Sharia-compliant" mortgage to purchase a $123,000 condominium in Ann Arbor.
As the Free Beacon noted, "sharia, or Islamic religious law, sets strict rules for living that include harsh restrictions on women and gruesome, medieval-era forms of criminal justice. Sharia law also prohibits the paying or earning of interest, a restriction that has led some banks to offer special mortgages for devout Muslims, like El-Sayed, which tack onto the principal what a typical borrower would pay in interest across the life of the loan."
NEW: Abdul El-Sayed once declared his sacred "obligation" to follow Sharia law in every aspect of his life until the day he dies.
— Andrew Kerr (@AndrewKerrNC) August 11, 2026
The unearthed comments raise an obvious question: how much does Sharia law continue to guide El-Sayed?
w/ @jessicaschwalb7https://t.co/93AHqfSc5n pic.twitter.com/he5o4oeHYI
While the young El-Sayed may have been talking about how his obligation to sharia law affected his financial matters, it's clear that in the intervening years, he's been compliant in every aspect of his life. But, he doesn't always like talking about it.
SEE ALSO: Tensions Explode After Texas Town Council Approves Massive Islamic Center Expansion
A recent profile in Religious News heralded El-Sayed's primary win as a "milestone for American Muslims." His victory, they wrote, "is a watershed moment for Muslim political representation in the country. There are only four Muslims serving in the U.S. House."
Michigan native Nada Al-Hanooti, a community organizer for the Muslim group Emgage, said, “Abdul’s victory shows that Muslims belong in American politics. Candidates like Abdul are proving that Muslims are Americans. We’re Americans just as anyone else. And when we are in positions of leadership, we are not only serving the Muslim community; we’re serving all Americans.”
El-Sayed tries to downplay the role of Islam in his everyday life when on the campaign trail, but he comes out swinging when he's pushed on the matter. At a 2022 speech at an Oklahoma CAIR conference, he said, "You cannot understand the challenges we face today without understanding white supremacy."
Continued El-Sayed in his CAIR remarks, "I don't have to tell you that the same exact forces that drove native peoples from their land two centuries ago, destroyed Black Wall Street a century ago, bombed a building decades ago, and tried to ban Sharia law not a decade ago, that those forces are alive and well today."
El-Sayed can insist his politics are secular all he wants, but voters are entitled to take his own words seriously. When a man seeking a seat in the United States Senate says he has an “obligation” to follow sharia law until the day he dies, it's worth examining very closely
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
Help RedState continue to report on the Democrats’ radicalism and inform voters as our nation faces a crossroads. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member