There's this old saying about apples and how far they fall from the tree. It's generally taken to be a statement on how a generation takes after the previous generation, in matters ranging from food to culture to behavior. We apply it to politicians, too, especially when examining one candidate in light of how their relatives have behaved. Often that's a huge nothing burger; a candidate isn't responsible for the sins of any of their relatives.
But when a candidate has a history of supporting suspect causes, and then a relative - say, the candidate's mother - is found to have been shoveling money towards those causes, it is more than enough to make one wonder just what the heck is going on.
Case in point: Michigan's Democrat Senate candidate, Abdul El-Sayed, otherwise known as Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed, and his mother. In a rather extensive thread on X, commentator Natalie Winters has compiled some interesting information on El-Sayed's mother and her actions in funneling money towards Saddam-era Iraq and other suspect organizations in that part of the world. Ms. Winters' account begins:
EXCLUSIVE: Abdul El-Sayed’s mother helped process tens of thousands in overseas transfers for an Islamic charity later convicted of secretly funneling $1.375 MILLION into Saddam-era Iraq—and blacklisted over alleged al-Qaeda, Taliban and Hamas ties. 🧵
— Natalie Winters (@nataliegwinters) August 17, 2026
Over a million dollars. That's not chump change. And the "charity" was the Islamic American Relief Agency (IARA-USA), which was shut down by the federal government in 2016 for violations of international sanctions on Iraq.
But wait! There's more!
The charity was IARA-USA—the American office of the Sudan-based ISRA network. In 2004, Treasury blacklisted the global network, alleging that its officials supported Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda, Hamas and the Taliban. pic.twitter.com/c8XWR3k8wH
— Natalie Winters (@nataliegwinters) August 17, 2026
Here's the onion; Ms. Winters writes:
Elkomy’s link was not a one-time event or loose association. A contemporary report says she worked for IARA-USA beginning in 1999. A newly uncovered federal filing puts her name on transfer paperwork and correspondence involving the charity’s Iraq operations.
In the thread, Natalie Winters has what sure looks to be the receipts. It's an interesting read.
Here's the thing: Abdul El-Sayed's mother isn't running for office. Abdul El-Sayed is. But even so, this should be a matter of some concern for Michigan voters. Add to this El-Sayed's antipathy to the Second Amendment and Independence Day fireworks, his on-again, off-again advocacy for Sharia law, and his nasty remarks about the vice president's kids, and you have the picture of a guy who has a big uphill climb to election in a swing state like Michigan.
Even so, this matter is a little more serious. Again, we should employ the shoe-on-the-other-foot rule; if this were a Republican Senate candidate whose parent had a long history of fundraising for organizations that are suspect at best and criminal at worst, the legacy media would never leave the matter alone. But since this is Abdul El-Sayed, a Democrat and a Muslim, he appears to be on the do-not-touch list, because we haven't heard anything from the legacy media about this. It's a safe bet we won't. It's an old story, one we've seen before.
Still, the general election isn't all that far off. People in Michigan should be concerned about the connections that El-Sayed's family has made over the years.
At the very least, Abdul El-Sayed has some pointed questions to answer in this affair.
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.
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