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Get ready habibis, Abdul El-Sayed’s ‘shawarma law’ is coming to the US
Abdul El-Sayed’s Michigan Senate victory has prompted a wave of anti-Muslim and anti-Arab rhetoric, which this opinion article argues shows how some critics react to a Muslim politician who does not dilute his identity. In his victory speech, El-Sayed used Arabic phrases and joked that Vice-President JD Vance would be constitutionally required to swear him into office.
The article says right-wing commentator Laura Loomer responded with nearly 100 posts describing the result as an “Islamic communist takeover” and calling for a Muslim ban. It also cites criticism from CNN interviewer James Talarico, Atlantic editor David Frum and former Atlantic contributor James Kirchick, while noting the broader context of Muslim and Arab candidates winning in the midterms, including Zohran Mamdani in New York.
In short
- Abdul El-Sayed won a Michigan Senate seat.
- His Arabic-filled victory speech drew attention.
- The article criticises the backlash against Muslim politicians.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
El-Sayed’s supporters can argue that the hostile reaction to his win reflects a double standard: a Muslim Arab-American politician should be able to use Arabic, celebrate his identity and make political jokes without being treated as a threat. They may see the rhetoric described in the article as evidence that some critics judge Muslim candidates by their faith or heritage rather than their policies, especially as more such candidates win office.
The case against
Critics can argue that a candidate’s victory speech and public style are fair subjects for scrutiny, and that criticism of his politics should not automatically be treated as hostility to Muslims or Arabs. They may also contend that the article risks grouping very different reactions together, so evidence of bigoted rhetoric from some commentators does not establish that all cited critics objected on religious or ethnic grounds.
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