# ‘JD, habibi.’ Arabs celebrate El-Sayed’s use of a term of affection in his victory speech

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/jd-habibi-arabs-celebrate-el-sayeds-use-of-a-term-of-affection-in-his-victory-speech/
- Published: 2026-11-06T00:42:09+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-06T01:34:25+00:00
- Original publisher: PBS NewsHour (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/jd-habibi-arabs-celebrate-el-sayeds-use-of-a-term-of-affection-in-his-victory-speech
- Topics: Entertainment, Music, Politics

## Key points

- El-Sayed’s “JD, habibi” line delighted Arab audiences.
- His speech brought Arabic expressions into US political conversation.
- Supporters used humour to answer Islamophobic campaign attacks.

## Summary

Abdul El-Sayed’s Senate victory speech has prompted celebration among Arabs in the United States and the Middle East, especially after he addressed Vice President JD Vance as “habibi”. The moment combined humour with a response to Islamophobic attacks during the campaign and brought Arabic expressions into the American political spotlight.

“Habibi” can mean “my beloved” but is commonly used as “buddy” or “pal”; El-Sayed also referred to “inshallah”, meaning “God willing”, and “hamdulillah”, meaning “thank God”. The son of Egyptian immigrants and set to become the first Muslim American U.S. senator, he had been called a “jihadist” by President Donald Trump and targeted with other anti-Muslim rhetoric. Supporters and social media users responded with songs, memes and jokes celebrating his win.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.