Michigan voters have a huge decision to make this November — Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed are going head-to-head for Michigan’s available Senate seat.
It goes without saying that Rogers and El-Sayed have vastly different views on what the future of Michigan and the U.S. as a whole should look like, and there’s plenty to fairly criticize on both sides.
It’s not just their views that are being considered, though. A simple fact is steering the election conversation: if El-Sayed is elected, he will be the first Muslim to hold a U.S. Senate seat.
Republican politicians across the country have not hesitated to make religion a campaign issue throughout the 2026 midterms; specifically, the Islamic faith and whether a Muslim American is fit to hold office.
This isn’t to say there aren’t valid reasons to disagree with El-Sayed — his progressive policies are a point of contention for many voters. This is all part of running for office, and I would encourage voters to look at candidates’ policies critically and consider the implications of their views.
However, criticism of his politics has started to blur with criticism surrounding El-Sayed’s identity.
One of the biggest examples involves the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, which were just memorialized on the 25th anniversary. Rogers accused El-Sayed of believing that America “deserved 9/11” shortly after El-Sayed won the Democratic Party.
The issue with this accusation is that El-Sayed never said anything or provided any evidence that he believed that. He actually said in April that nothing justified the murder of those innocent Americans, and called it a “cruel act of terror,” according to CBS News.
Influencer Hasan Piker was the one who actually said in 2019 that America deserved 9/11, and El-Sayed has previously been associated with Piker. Now, it’s fair to question why El-Sayed would associate with someone who would say that, but it’s unfair to assume that El-Sayed himself sympathizes with terrorists simply because he happens to be Muslim.
The Associated Press reported that Republican leaders have repeatedly focused on El-Sayed, talking about his Islamic faith while also portraying him as radical. President Trump has even referred to El-Sayed as a “jihadist,” which can be considered synonymous with a terrorist.
This leads me to ask myself and encourage others to ask whether we’re debating his actual politics or trying to make voters afraid of his religion.
Again, this isn’t to say that he’s above criticism, because there are plenty of legitimate things about his policy for voters to debate. Rogers isn’t wrong for questioning El-Sayed’s healthcare proposals, economic plans, or foreign policies.
It’s just important that that’s what he receives scrutiny on the basis of, and not his religion alone.
That standard also has to work both ways — The Guardian recently reported that Rogers voted against legislation that would provide health benefits to 9/11 first responders. If 9/11 is going to become a test of candidates’ character in this election, then both candidates’ habits need to be considered.
It’s also incredibly important to remember that Article VI of the U.S. Constitution specifically says, “no religious test shall ever be required” as a qualification for public office.
Michigan voters don’t have to convert to Islam. Muslim voters don’t have to convert to Christianity. Christians don’t have to vote for Christian candidates, and Muslims don’t have to vote for Muslim candidates — that’s supposed to be the point of America’s “melting pot”.
Michigan is also an especially strange place to use Muslim identity against someone, considering our state is home to one of the most significant Muslim and Arab-American communities in the U.S. Muslims are our neighbors, classmates, business owners, doctors, and teachers.
It’s completely unfair to turn a person’s faith into evidence that they’re dangerous or somehow less American than the rest of us. El-Sayed was born in Michigan, just like me.
It’s important to make sure this election we’re considering what candidates actually stand for and what policies they advocate for and not what religion they happen to follow.
Remember: we’re choosing a senator, not a pastor.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/michigan-senate-candidates-25-years-9-11-el-sayed-rogers
