Michigan Senate Nominee Abdul El-Sayed to Speak at Convention Featuring Clerics With Controversial Histories

Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Michigan, is scheduled to address the annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) during the upcoming Labor Day weekend. His appearance has drawn scrutiny due to the inclusion of several prominent Muslim clerics on the same speaker lineup who have previously made contentious statements.

Controversial Figures on the Roster

Among the individuals slated to speak at the ISNA gathering is cleric Baqir Berry. He previously invoked a term often linked with Islamist combatants, "mujahideen," during a prayer for fighters in Palestine and Lebanon, seeking divine intervention for their "mighty victory." In a June sermon, documented by the Middle East Media Research Institute, Berry stated:

"We pray to Allah to save our people in South Lebanon from the evil of these Zionists, to support the Muslims and the mujahideen on His path in the East and the West, especially our mujahideen in Palestine, Lebanon, and everywhere. Oh Allah, grant them a mighty victory."

Hassan Qazwini, who leads the Islamic Institute of America, is another speaker at the convention. He has previously called upon God to "grant victory to our brothers in Iran," a nation identified by the U.S. as a state sponsor of terrorism. Furthermore, Qazwini faced condemnation from Senator Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign for what it labeled "antisemitic conspiracy theories." This criticism stemmed from Qazwini's assertion that ISIS maintained ties to Israel and functioned as an "arm of the Zionists."

Texas imam Yasir Qadhi is also on the speaker list; he previously made comments denying the Holocaust, which he has since recanted. Additionally, Siraj Wahhaj is slated to participate. Wahhaj was identified as a potential co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing investigation, though he was never formally charged.

El-Sayed's Prior Associations Under Scrutiny

This upcoming appearance is not the first instance where El-Sayed's associations have drawn scrutiny. He has previously been criticized for engagements with streamer Hasan Piker, who once controversially stated that America "deserved 9/11." El-Sayed later described Piker's remark as "dumb" and distanced himself from the comment, but he did not disavow Piker personally.

Furthermore, El-Sayed has defended a blog post from 2021 that drew a comparison between former President Donald Trump's involvement in the January 6 Capitol riot and Osama bin Laden's role in the September 11 attacks.

El-Sayed's participation in the convention takes place amidst growing attention from Republicans, who have increasingly highlighted his past connections to contentious political and religious personalities as part of the Michigan Senate campaign.