Expert Accuses El-Sayed of Advancing Muslim Brotherhood Goals
Dalia Ziada, who leads a center focused on worldwide antisemitism and public policy, accused Abdul El-Sayed, a U.S. Senate hopeful from Michigan, of promoting Muslim Brotherhood goals despite a modern, secular public image. She made the allegation in a recent interview with Israel’s i24News; The Midwesterner relayed the claim on October 31.
Ziada described the approach as “Islamists without Islamism,” saying that people who do not identify publicly as Islamists or Brotherhood members can still advance political Islamism. She also cited New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani as part of what she sees as a growing trend in American politics.
The Midwesterner’s account pointed to El-Sayed’s remarks at a 2022 Council on American-Islamic Relations event, where he criticized efforts to ban Sharia law in U.S. courts. It also cited his signature on a 2021 appeal calling on the Brotherhood to remove police and media figures in Egypt. El-Sayed described his signature on the letter as being “about democracy.”
El-Sayed has also declined to say whether he would classify the Brotherhood as a terrorist group, saying he would not “stoop to that level,” according to the account. His supporters have characterized criticism of him as Islamophobia. Ziada said her concern was the advancement of political Islamism, which she views as anti-Western.
An Expert’s Allegations Put El-Sayed’s Muslim Identity Under Scrutiny
An accusation from Egyptian activist Dalia Ziada is being used to cast Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed as a threat, despite the claims being presented as her interpretation of his politics. In a recent i24News interview shared by The Midwesterner on October 31, Ziada alleged that El-Sayed advances Muslim Brotherhood objectives while appearing secular.
Ziada called this “Islamists without Islamism” and grouped El-Sayed with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani as examples of a trend. The account cited El-Sayed’s 2022 criticism of efforts to ban Sharia law in U.S. courts, as well as his signature on a 2021 appeal asking the Brotherhood to remove police and media figures in Egypt. El-Sayed said the letter was “about democracy.”
El-Sayed has declined to say whether he would label the Brotherhood a terrorist organization, saying he would not “stoop to that level.” His supporters have described criticism of him as Islamophobia. That context matters: the allegations frame his religious and political views as evidence of hidden loyalties, while the material cited also includes his own explanation of the letter as a call for democracy.
Ziada says she is concerned about political Islamism and considers it anti-Western. Her claim, however, remains an accusation about El-Sayed’s aims, not a statement from him endorsing the Brotherhood’s objectives.
Ziada Warns El-Sayed Advances Muslim Brotherhood Objectives
Dalia Ziada has raised a serious concern about Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed: that his public image does not reflect the political goals he advances. In a recent interview with Israel’s i24News, shared by The Midwesterner on October 31, she accused him of promoting Muslim Brotherhood objectives without openly identifying as an Islamist.
Ziada described the pattern as “Islamists without Islamism” and said she sees it in El-Sayed and other American politicians, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The account highlighted El-Sayed’s 2022 criticism of efforts to bar Sharia law in U.S. courts and his signature on a 2021 appeal asking the Brotherhood to remove police and media figures in Egypt. He said the letter was “about democracy.”
El-Sayed has also refused to say whether he would classify the Brotherhood as a terrorist group, saying he would not “stoop to that level.” For voters weighing his candidacy, those comments and Ziada’s warning raise questions about his views on Sharia and the Brotherhood. Dismissing scrutiny as Islamophobia, as his supporters have done, does not answer those questions.
Ziada said her main concern is the spread of political Islamism, which she views as anti-Western. Her allegations are central to the dispute over how El-Sayed’s political positions should be understood.
Reported by Townhall, Twitchy, PJ Media.
