Faith Leader Dr. Anila Ali Raises Alarm Over Michigan Senate Nominee’s Alleged Brotherhood Links | FFN

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Faith Leader Dr. Anila Ali Raises Alarm Over Michigan Senate Nominee’s Alleged Muslim Brotherhood Links

A Facebook post shared by the American Muslim leader lists 16 alleged connections between Abdul El-Sayed and organizations tied to the Brotherhood. Here is what it claims, what is documented, and what remains disputed.

By World Desk, Faith & Freedom NewsReported by Khurram Ali RazaPublished November 4, 2026Reading time: 5 minfandfnews.com

Reported by Khurram Ali Raza · World Desk, FFN

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Dr. Anila Ali, a prominent American Muslim faith leader and international religious freedom advocate, has drawn attention with a Facebook post that asserts Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan, is “working on behalf of the Muslim Brotherhood” and that the matter “should be bi-partisan and should scare every American.”

The post, which describes itself in a sharply worded challenge (“Does this look like ‘no ties’ to you?”), bundles a series of associations, past statements and family connections into a single argument. FFN reports the claims below as allegations made in the post. They have not been independently verified by this newsroom, and El-Sayed has said he has no ties to the Brotherhood.

…and do not go about acting wickedly on Earth, causing disorder and corruptionQuran, Al-Baqarah 2:60

The core claim: a 1991 plan and a “friends” list

The post begins from a document often cited by critics of Islamist movements: a 1991 Muslim Brotherhood memorandum, introduced as evidence in the Holy Land Foundation trial, that describes a strategy of “civilizational jihad” in North America and lists 29 allied organizations. The post says the Brotherhood “wrote down its plan in 1991: destroy Western civilization from within,” and argues El-Sayed is linked to several organizations on that list.

Illustration: connections as alleged in the Facebook post. Lines show claimed association, not established coordination.

What the post alleges

Organizations

ISNA, listed first on the 1991 document, is tied to El-Sayed through his father-in-law, a member of its Founders Committee. The Muslim Student Association, listed second, is tied through El-Sayed’s role as vice president of its University of Michigan chapter; the post says his wife also served on its board. It adds that he has spoken at ISNA, CAIR and ICNA events.

The Holy Land case

The post notes that ISNA and CAIR were named unindicted co-conspirators in the Holy Land Foundation prosecution, in which the charity’s leaders were convicted in 2008 over roughly $12 million sent to Hamas. It says his father-in-law, who headed CAIR Michigan, donated $300,000 to a super PAC backing El-Sayed.

Family

Quoting a 2012 writing by El-Sayed’s half-sister (“My family has long been MB”), the post says relatives were jailed for Brotherhood activity and that their mother worked for the Islamic American Relief Agency, which the U.S. Treasury designated in 2004.

Statements

It cites a 2011 piece saying Americans need not worry about a Brotherhood government in Egypt; a 2012 letter backing President Morsi; and reactions to the deaths of Anwar al-Awlaki, Ayman al-Zawahiri, Qassem Soleimani and Ali Khamenei. It says he declined to revisit the Morsi letter in a Fox News interview with Bret Baier.

Timeline of the claims

1991 — Brotherhood memorandum and “friends” list, later entered in evidence in the Holy Land Foundation trial.

2004 — Treasury designates the Islamic American Relief Agency.

2008 — Holy Land Foundation leaders convicted.

2011–2012 — Statements and a letter on Egypt’s Brotherhood-led government, cited in the post.

2026 — El-Sayed wins the Democratic nomination, according to the post, which says the Brotherhood’s own website celebrated.

Context and unresolved questions

What El-Sayed’s supporters and defenders typically say

Defenders generally argue that membership in mainstream Muslim American organizations is not evidence of extremism, that he should be judged on his own record and policy positions, and that criticism of U.S. military actions is common across the political spectrum. They also say such lines of attack risk casting suspicion on American Muslims broadly. El-Sayed has publicly said he has no ties to the Brotherhood.

What critics and the post’s author argue

Critics argue that the pattern, taken together, warrants scrutiny, pointing to the personal, financial and organizational links and to his reluctance to retract the 2012 Morsi letter. The post frames this as a national-security concern that should transcend party lines.

Why this matters for faith communities

The post’s defenders and detractors alike agree on one thing: debates like this land hard on American Muslims. The verse above, cited alongside the post, urges against disorder and corruption on Earth. Faith leaders often stress the line between accountability for public figures and collective suspicion of a whole community.

Voices

Dr. Ali is known for her work on international religious freedom, including as co-chair of the IRF Roundtable’s Pakistan group, and has long spoken about extremism and minority rights. FFN has requested comment from the El-Sayed campaign and will update this report with any response.

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