Arabs from Michigan to the Middle East are celebrating the Senate win of Abdul El-Sayed, who will be the first Muslim-American US senator. Supporters are particularly delighted by El-Sayed’s decision to introduce Arabic terms like "habibi" and "inshallah" into the American political lexicon.
During his victory speech, El-Sayed mocked his critics on the right by addressing US Vice-President J.D. Vance as "J.D., habibi." This was a direct response to Vance, who had warned that El-Sayed would lead rioters to burn down Detroit. El-Sayed noted the "delicious irony" of the fact that Vance is "constitutionally obligated to swear me in in January."
The term "habibi" translates to "my beloved" and is commonly used in Arab pop songs and everyday speech to mean "buddy," "pal," or "bro." El-Sayed’s supporters have already begun wearing shirts that read "Habibi for Abdul." El-Sayed, the son of Egyptian immigrants, stated that his campaign transformed the phrase "inshallah" ("God willing") into "hamdulillah," which means "thank God."
The reaction from the Arab world has been one of joy, with many social media users posting music videos featuring the word "habibi." One user shared a video of Egyptian diva Shireen Abd El-Wahab dancing, joking that El-Sayed might make it the new national anthem. Others shared a meme from an Egyptian film featuring a man laughing at a funeral with the caption, "I came here to crack jokes."
Egyptian academic Khalil al-Anani praised the senator-elect on social media, calling "Habibi" the "sweetest word" and thanking him for bringing joy to Egyptians.
El-Sayed’s victory comes after a campaign marked by Islamophobic rhetoric and prejudice against Arab and Muslim-Americans. During the race, President Donald Trump referred to El-Sayed as a "jihadist," evoked the September 11 attacks, and deliberately misstated the candidate's name. In response to these attacks, social media users posted lighthearted videos of Lebanese diva Haifa Wehbe belly dancing and veiled women breakdancing.
In his victory speech, El-Sayed addressed the President's comments, saying, "Donald, look, I know you’ve struggled with my name. So after J.D. swears me in in January, you can just go on and call me 'senator'."
