El-Sayed highlights faith in new ad after Republican attacks

Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign is airing a new 30-second advertisement highlighting his faith after Republicans used his Muslim religion to attack him in Michigan’s Senate race, The New York Times reported on October 19.

The ad shows El-Sayed sitting in an armchair with a mug, interspersed with black-and-white nature scenes and places of worship. He describes daily prayer and service to God and neighbours without explicitly naming Islam, according to the report.

In the script reproduced by the Times, El-Sayed says faith is lacking in Washington and describes himself as a man of faith. The newspaper said the ad appears to implicitly rebuke opponents, including President Donald Trump, who have attacked him over his religion.

The Times placed the ad in the context of El-Sayed’s closely contested race against Republican former congressman Mike Rogers. It also recalled his response to a town-hall question over the weekend: he was running for the U.S. Senate and happened to be Muslim.