The Michigan Senate race is razor thin, and Democrat Abdul El-Sayed is making a direct pitch to religious voters, including Christians who have largely backed Republican Mike Rogers. A new campaign video describes El-Sayed as a man of faith who prays daily and wants more people of faith in Washington. What the ad does not say is which faith.

The move comes as scrutiny of El-Sayed’s religious background and past statements intensifies in the final stretch before November, and it is dividing the Christian community in Michigan.

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From the Daily Wire: 

“My name is Abdul. It means servant,” he says. “I pray every day. I reflect on that role, on this life, on this earth, how we leave it better than we found it. To serve God, to serve our neighbors. All across Michigan, families pray. They feel hopeless. Faith is a thing there is just too little of in Washington.”

Before the video ends, he adds, “We need a few more people of faith in Washington. I’m Abdul El-Sayed, man of faith. That’s a good thing.”

Not everyone is convinced. Pastor Lorenzo Sewell of 180 Church in Detroit asked Fox News Digital, “Can you imagine him being in the Senate, being able to recommend federal judges to presidents?”

The ad was co-posted with an Instagram account called “Clergy For Abdul,” which features endorsements from clergy in multiple religious traditions. In one video, Rev. Shannon Jammal-Hollemans said health care weighs heavily on her congregation and that her church food pantry was easier to keep full a year and a half ago because of lower costs. She called El-Sayed a leader who represents her values. The clergy coalition suggests a coordinated strategy to frame El-Sayed’s Muslim faith as broadly compatible with the concerns of religious voters across traditions.

El-Sayed has previously tried to separate his identity from his candidacy. At a recent town hall, he told the crowd he is not running to be a Muslim senator but happens to be Muslim, drawing a comparison to John F. Kennedy, who pushed back on scrutiny of his Catholicism by saying he was not running to be a Catholic president. El-Sayed’s campaign has said he opposes incorporating any religion’s law into U.S. law.

The question of how his faith appears publicly dates to his unsuccessful 2018 gubernatorial run. In resurfaced video from a documentary about that campaign, El-Sayed asked a film crew to keep a bookshelf holding a Quran and other religious items out of the shot, saying, “we’re trying to keep the shot secular.” The clip has circulated widely among critics who say it contradicts the current messaging.

President Donald Trump has accused El-Sayed of being a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, a claim El-Sayed denies. Pastor Sewell told Fox News Digital that his concern is not simply El-Sayed’s religion but his potential influence over federal judicial appointments. “That’s his goal,” Sewell said. “His goal is to be able to recommend federal judges to presidents for appointments, and then we’re going to find ourselves in Sharia law all over this land.” A recent Fox News poll found white evangelical Christians are among the groups giving Rogers his strongest support.

Matthew 7:15-16 is worth sitting with here: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits” (ESV). El-Sayed is a Muslim trying to win over Christians to his side. We know that Christianity and Islam are not compatible. Islam is demonic, and it preaches violence, murder, and other horrors. Christians must stand against this religion, and must be careful not to give in to appealing, generic, words that have no depth or meaning. Let’s pray for Michigan voters, for Christians this election season, for wisdom in the churches, and for leaders filled with integrity to get elected.

How are you praying about this issue? Share your prayers and scriptures in the comments below.

(Excerpt from the Daily Wire. Photo Credit: Conlan Houston, Wikimedia: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=abdul+el-sayed&title=Special%3AMediaSearch&type=image).