Muslim Americans Celebrate Abdul El-Sayed’s Win in Michigan Primary

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Dr. El-Sayed’s win against a centrist congresswoman funded by pro-Israel groups and backed by the party establishment was especially sweet in Eastern Michigan, where Arab and Muslim Americans have long lived.

Dr. El-Sayed, a Michigan-born son of Egyptian immigrants, could become the nation’s first Muslim senator if he wins the general election in November against a former Republican House member, Mike Rogers.

“Growing up as a Muslim American, you’re often told to conceal that part of your identity if you want to get ahead,” Bilal Baydoun, 36, a writer and political strategist from Dearborn, Mich., said Tuesday night at Dr. El-Sayed’s election party in Detroit. “To see him bear his name with his full chest — even saying his full name at times — it still feels revolutionary in a way.”

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Nishi Rahman, 26, a health care consultant who lives in New York City, said he started following Dr. El-Sayed’s career during his 2018 run for governor of Michigan.

“I didn’t think there was a place for me in politics as a Muslim kid growing up,” said Mr. Rahman, recalling anti-Muslim sentiment in the United States after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

“What this shows is that we as Muslims have a place here,” he said. “We can be full citizens of this country. We can be leaders here. And we’re just as American as anybody else.”

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