A resurfaced video shows Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate nominee in Michigan, responding angrily to questions about whether his Muslim faith indicated links to the Muslim Brotherhood or support for Sharia law. At a 2018 gubernatorial forum, he rejected those claims, saying he would uphold the US and Michigan constitutions and arguing that Sharia law was not at issue in the state. The exchange matters because it highlights continuing political tensions over Muslim candidates, religious freedom and allegations linking Islamic organisations to political extremism.

The questioning came from Patrick Colbeck, then a Republican candidate for governor, who cited El-Sayed’s former role in the Muslim Students Association at the University of Michigan and alleged connections to the Muslim Brotherhood. The article says Fox News Digital found no evidence linking El-Sayed to the Brotherhood, while noting that a memorandum associated with the group listed numerous organisations without establishing formal relationships. It also provides wider context on the Brotherhood’s positions on Islamic law and notes that, although the US does not designate it a terrorist organisation, several other countries do.