Pastor Lorenzo Sewell, a prominent Black Christian pastor who gained viral attention for a recent clash with the Dearborn city council, has voiced strong concerns regarding Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed's potential impact if elected to the U.S. Senate. Sewell warned that El-Sayed could influence federal judicial appointments, raising fears that such recommendations could lead to the implementation of Sharia law in the United States.
Sewell's remarks stem from a 2009 interview where El-Sayed described following Sharia law principles when obtaining a special type of loan for a condo. Sharia law typically prohibits interest on loans; Sharia-compliant financing often integrates interest costs into the purchase price. El-Sayed's campaign spokeswoman, Roxie Richner, stated that while El-Sayed adheres to his faith, he opposes any religious group imposing its laws on the country. Richner characterized Sewell's comments as "cheap attacks and hateful rhetoric" from an ally of El-Sayed's Republican opponent, Mike Rogers.
During an interview with Fox News Digital, Sewell questioned the implications of El-Sayed being in a position to recommend federal judges. "Can you imagine him being in the Senate, being able to recommend federal judges to presidents?" Sewell asked. "That's his goal. His goal is to be able to recommend federal judge to presidents for appointments, and then we're going to find ourselves in Sharia law all over this land."
Sewell also criticized El-Sayed's public associations, particularly his past campaign events with streamer Hasan Piker. Piker has faced accusations of antisemitism and making controversial statements, including one in 2019 where he suggested America deserved 9/11. More recently, Piker's comments on American Jews' connection to Israel drew condemnation, leading El-Sayed to distance his campaign from Piker. El-Sayed affirmed his commitment to Jewish safety and called antisemitism a "scourge."
Furthermore, Sewell accused prominent Muslim politicians, including El-Sayed, U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, and U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, of resisting assimilation into American culture. He suggested their calls for issues like "free Palestine" and "to the river, to the sea" indicate a desire to "take over" American culture rather than assimilate into it.
Sewell, who was born in Detroit, has been a vocal critic of assimilation and a proponent of what he describes as Biblical values being foundational to American identity. He previously gained attention for a speech at a Dearborn city council meeting, where he declared, "We are not a nation of Muslims, we are nation of Christians!"
Sewell also raised questions about El-Sayed's medical credentials, referring to criticism that El-Sayed, who holds an M.D. from Columbia University, did not complete a residency and is not licensed to practice medicine in Michigan or New York.
El-Sayed's campaign has stated that he lives by the rules of his faith, as many Americans do, but opposes any effort to enshrine religious laws into the nation's legal framework. The campaign has characterized Sewell's warnings as divisive rhetoric.