Politics, the new field of resistance for American Muslims against Islamophobia

As a growing wave of Islamophobia continues in the United States, Muslim candidates have made significant strides in the country's political elections.

"Zahran Mamdani" was elected as New York's first Muslim mayor in 2025, and this year, "Abdul El-Sayed" won the Democratic primary in Michigan and has a strong chance of becoming the first Muslim U.S. senator.

According to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), there are currently 255 elected Muslim officials serving in 26 states, including four members of Congress, 11 mayors, and 46 state legislators. After the November elections, the number of Muslims in the U.S. House of Representatives could reach seven.

This increased political presence comes as the U.S. witnessed a significant rise in Islamophobia last year. According to CAIR, 8,683 incidents of discrimination against Muslims were recorded last year, the highest number since records began in 1996.

This wave has been particularly evident in states like Florida, Minnesota, and Texas. "Bo French," a Republican candidate in a Texas state election, wrote on social media this summer: "He will not rest until all Muslims have left this state."

"Nancy Mace," a Republican member of Congress, has also stated that "any Muslim holding public office in America" is a threat to national security and the republic.

The report also cites the policies and rhetoric of President Donald Trump as factors contributing to increased discrimination and hatred against Muslims. The Trump administration's policy of deporting undocumented immigrants has taken on anti-Muslim dimensions, particularly targeting Somali, Sudanese, and Afghan communities. Trump has previously made offensive remarks about Somalia and has used derogatory language towards Ilhan Omar, a Somali-American congresswoman from Minnesota.

The U.S. war on Iran has also fueled Islamophobia in the country. Although the Trump administration maintains close ties with a number of Muslim nations, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, it has sometimes described the war with Iran in Christian-oriented rhetoric. "Mike Johnson," the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, has said about Iran: "We are the Great Satan in their analogies, and their misguided religion says so."

The Center for the Study of Organized Hate has also reported an increase in Islamophobic content on social media coinciding with the start of the conflicts.

In response, Trump's policies have prompted political reactions among the communities targeted by his actions. In Minneapolis, Muslim clergy have organized to defend the Somali community and have been supported by an interfaith coalition. American Muslims also mobilized in large numbers during Trump's first term to prevent his re-election.

This is not the first time that rising Islamophobia has led to political organizing among American Muslims. The wave of Islamophobia in the early 2000s and efforts by some conservative activists to prevent mosque construction and ban "Sharia" in various states pushed American Muslims to seek greater political power. In 2006, "Keith Ellison" became the first American Muslim elected to Congress.

Although most American Muslims vote for and support Democratic candidates, in recent years they have shown they are not committed to unconditional support for the party. In the 2024 election, Muslims in Michigan launched an "uncommitted" campaign to withhold support from Joe Biden, expressing dissatisfaction with his administration's performance in supporting Palestinians during the Gaza war.

This dissatisfaction with the Democratic mainstream has also led a number of American Muslims, including Mamdani and El-Sayed, to run as progressive candidates.

Meanwhile, shifting U.S. public opinion on the Palestinian issue and the Zionist regime has also contributed to the growing popularity of some Muslim and progressive candidates. According to a 2026 Gallup poll, 41% of Americans now have a more favorable view of Palestinians, while 36% hold a more positive view of Israelis; this is a significant shift from a year ago, when Israelis led with 46% compared to 33% for Palestinians.

This shift in opinion is also observed among American Jews: 61% believe Israel has committed war crimes in Gaza, and nearly 40% describe Israel's actions as "genocide."

In these circumstances, American Muslims, alongside other groups affected by Trump's policies, are striving to change America's path toward a more just and pluralistic society through increased political participation.

Abdul El-Sayed's victory in the Michigan primary, which was accompanied by support from the state's Latino community, is an example of this trend. Latino voter turnout in Michigan saw a significant increase compared to the previous midterm elections, contributing to the victory of eight Latino candidates in the primaries.

After winning the primary, El-Sayed said: "This is the best place in the world to be Abdul."