After barrage of anti-Muslim attacks, Abdul El-Sayed savors Senate win
Associated Press · Jacqueline Ganun, Joey Cappelletti, David Crary ·
Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has become the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate — a significant milestone for Muslim Americans. El-Sayed's victory is seen as a rejection of anti-Muslim rhetoric. President Donald Trump and other Republicans had targeted El-Sayed with accusations and fearmongering. On Wednesday, El-Sayed's win over Republican rival Mike Rogers was confirmed. Council on American-Islamic Relations national executive director Nihad Awad calls it a historic defeat for the politics of hate. El-Sayed says his critics “tried to demonize people because of how they pray." El-Sayed hopes his election will encourage Americans who feel unrepresented in national politics.
‘A beautifully American story’: El-Sayed’s historic Senate victory resonates with Muslim Americans
DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — Campaigning relentlessly across Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed didn’t highlight the possibility that he could become the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate. But with victory in hand, he savored his triumph over the vitriol aimed at him and his fellow Muslim Americans.
“They tried to demonize people because of how they pray,” he told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “And Michigan — the whole Michigan — clapped back. People don’t want that. They’re sick of it.”
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