Left-wing Democrat Abdul El-Sayed wins in Michigan to become first Muslim senator

WASHINGTON, Nov 4: Left-wing Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has won in the battleground state of Michigan to become the US's first Muslim senator, following a race fuelled by withering attacks and inter-party disputes.

El-Sayed bested Republican Mike Rogers, withstanding an onslaught of attacks that included baselessly tying him to terrorism and a high-profile spat with a fellow Democrat.

Rogers, backed by President Donald Trump, portrayed El-Sayed as a communist, criticising his stance on Israel and his Muslim faith.

After waiting long hours, watching the wave of Democratic gains across the country, El-Sayed's supporters celebrated wildly when he took the stage to mark his victory.

The former public health administrator campaigned on a left-wing platform that included universal health care and a wealth tax on billionaires.

The win comes days after El-Sayed's Democratic primary rival, Haley Stevens, endorsed Rogers, the Republican candidate, just days before the election.

El-Sayed's supporters gave deafening cheers when he took to the stage, as they chanted his name in jubilation. A sea of iPhones were held up to take in this moment of history - a Muslim man elected to the Senate.

Several people in the crowd embraced, filled with emotion. They repeated his slogan back to him like they were at a concert: "Money out of politics, money in your pocket and Medicare for all." 

On the campaign trail, El-Sayed, the son of Egyptian immigrants, described Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide and called for an end to US aid to the country. 

The issue carries particular resonance in Michigan, which is home to the second largest Arab-American population in the US. 

It also fuelled tensions between El-Sayed and Stevens, a staunch supporter of Israel, whose primary campaign received millions of dollars in backing from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac).

The contest was widely seen as a test of the political influence of the Democratic left in a key battleground state, following a series of primary wins by democratic socialist candidates in more politically favoured districts.

El-Sayed thanked the crowd in the early hours of Wednesday morning for taking a chance on "the unlikeliest of candidates" and rounded on his opponents.

"They went all in on one of the ugliest campaigns we've seen in a long time," he said, accusing them of attacking him "because of my name and my faith".

"They wanted an America that is too small for some of us. We know that this is an America that is big enough for all of us," El-Sayed added.

This is a milestone for Muslim Americans who had to watch, along with their children, as El-Sayed was attacked with increasing anti-Muslim rhetoric, including directly from the president of the United States. It comes at a time of rising in Islamophobia nationwide.

Roula Allouch, an Arab American Muslim, told the BBC she had goosebumps from the success of the campaign. 

"I'm proud of Abdul, the campaign that he ran, his family for their perseverance through all the hate, the Islamophobic rhetoric that was thrown at him throughout this campaign," she said. 

Another Muslim woman in the crowd was equally moved and told the BBC his win meant everything to her. 

"He makes us so proud and it just makes us feel like we can stand a little taller, broaden our shoulders and know somebody has our back and that he's going to be in Washington really fighting for us," she said. �" BBC