Summary
- Abdul El-Sayed, the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate, says he will take his oath of office on a Quran.
- He says it’s less about what it means to him personally as a Muslim than what it means for America.
- However, his statements and associations supporting radical Islamists and antisemitism are raising concerns about him being given access to classified information.
The first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate says he will take his oath of office in January on a Quran.
“Which Quran, we’re not sure,” Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed, D-Mich., told NPR’s Leila Fadel Thursday. “I mean, Thomas Jefferson had a copy of the Quran. So when Keith Ellison was sworn in to Congress, he swore in on that copy. There’s also the University of Michigan holds the first Quran in the state of Michigan. It’s very, very old, and that might be the choice.”
“So, I don’t know,” he said. “But I will swear on the Quran.”
El-Sayed says it’s less important to him to be sworn in as the first Muslim senator than it is for America.
“I mean, everybody has the experience of being told they’re less than or excluded or that they don’t belong,” said El-Sayed.
“I hope that when people see that, there is this sense that America really is big enough for you, right? It really doesn’t matter what your name is, doesn’t matter how you pray. Like, America is big enough.”
There are fewer than 4.5 million Muslims in the United States, according to World Population Review. Muslim Population by State 2026.
On Wednesday, El-Sayed joined other members of the incoming freshman class of U.S. senators for their first tour of the U.S. Capitol and initial orientation sessions.
However, the Michigan Democrat is raising concerns over his alleged embrace of radical Islamist ideology and antisemitism.
During his campaign, El-Sayed was sharply criticized for downplaying the terrorist attack on a Michigan synagogue, saying that “hurt people hurt people.” He later told members of the state Democratic Party’s Jewish Caucus, “I made a mistake,” referring to his initial comments, adding, “If my statement caused pain, I’m sorry. It was not what I intended to do,” JTA reported.
El-Sayed also refused to condemn the Islamist terror group Hamas; refused to speak in support of the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei; refused to clearly state Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state; campaigned with notorious antisemite Hasan Piker; and refused to condemn a campaign ad in his support that was widely acknowledged to be antisemitic.
He also denied reports, including quotes from his own sister, that indicated his family’s deep ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
The Daily Signal reported in October that Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., said such ties, if proven, would be disqualifying.
“Any congressional candidate with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood should be immediately disqualified,” Miller told the Daily Signal. “Public office is a public trust, and it must never be entrusted to those who hate everything our country stands for.”
Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer said this week that, given El-Sayed’s connections and statements, he should undergo a formal background check before being given classified information as a U.S. senator.
“We’re about to watch somebody who has questionable contacts and views and then hand them access to our most precious secrets.”
Spicer has started a petition that has garnered more than 6,000 signatures thus far. He also says El-Sayed shouldn’t be the only member of Congress subject to a background check. “Why can’t we make all of them do it?”
El-Sayed, and colleagues, will be sworn in at noon Jan. 3, 2027.
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[ H/T The Daily Signal ]
