Long-time friends and supporters of Dr. James Dobson and the James Dobson Family Institute gathered in Colorado Springs last week to hear from incredible speakers and to pray for our country. Speakers included prolific authors and commentators Eric Metaxas and Dinesh D’Souza, as well as historian David Barton, Pastor Jack Hibbs, and Pastor Rob McCoy, widely known as Charlie Kirk’s pastor. I also addressed the gathering on the importance of Christian citizenship.
We discussed many issues, but one unmistakably constant concern was the growing alliance of Marxists and socialists with radical Islamists happening right now in the United States. I spoke about this disturbing alliance at length and the damage it could do to our country. Christians seem to be asleep as a critically important midterm election approaches within the next few days.
Socialism always brings poverty, desperation, and despair. It is the forerunner to Marxism. Marxism is always built on a mountain of dead bodies. Marxism and Islamic extremism are murderous ideologies. Many candidates running this year are counting on that Marxist/socialist/Islamist alliance to send them to Congress. If they succeed, it will represent an abandonment of America’s biblically-based constitutional republic, which was founded on the concept of ordered liberty under God.
A perfect example of this alliance between Marxists and Islamists is Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed, the Democrat candidate for the U.S. Senate in Michigan. It is not simply that El-Sayed is a Muslim. There are many Muslims who love America for the freedom and prosperity our nation provides for them and their families. Others came to America to escape the poverty and oppression of their native countries. There are many Muslims who are not Islamists.
The danger with El-Sayed, however, is that he and his family have a track record of associating with radical Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood. That group is banned in Egypt, Jordan, and multiple Middle East nations. The U.S. government has declared various Muslim Brotherhood chapters to be terrorist organizations.1 The European Union is on the verge of doing so as well.2
While El-Sayed has vehemently denied any connection to the Brotherhood, his sister, University of Chicago professor Eman Abdelhadi, tells a different story. In a series of social media posts from 2012–2013, Abdelhadi wrote the following about her family’s connections to the Muslim Brotherhood:
“Had an amazing talk with my mom about her activism in the Muslim Brotherhood during the early 70s while she was in college.”
“My family has long been MB (Muslim Brotherhood).”
“I have had family jailed for being a part of it.”
“Praying for all my family that supports the #MB in Egypt. Lie low, stay safe.”3
After Israel eliminated Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon, one of their relatives attempted to kill dozens of Jewish kindergarten students by ramming his truck into a synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan.4 El-Sayed failed to clearly condemn the attack. Instead, he attempted to justify it, saying, “Hurt people hurt people.”5 So, if Israel is in a war with a terror group, that somehow justifies killing Jewish children in Michigan?
El-Sayed is friends with Hasan Piker, a social media influencer who admires Chinese communist dictator Mao Zedong, hates America, and says we “deserved” 9/11.6 El-Sayed has campaigned repeatedly with a radical imam who claims Israel, not Al Qaeda, attacked the United States on 9/11.7 The imam of the mosque El-Sayed attends praised Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, the mastermind of the October 7, 2023, massacre of 1,200 Israelis.8
Recently, El-Sayed attempted to deflect criticism of his ties to the Muslim Brotherhood by comparing himself to John F. Kennedy, who faced anti-Catholic bigotry in his 1960 presidential campaign.9
Kennedy was not in any way connected to extremist movements. He made it clear that he would not take orders from the Vatican. He loved America, and he would be aghast at what has happened to today’s Democrat Party.10
Leading Democrats, including former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Kamala Harris, have campaigned for El-Sayed. Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) have both declared that if El-Sayed can win in Michigan, then similar candidates supported by Marxists and Islamists can win anywhere.11
When I ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000, I was routinely asked whether my Christian faith would somehow prevent me from following the Constitution. In response, I simply reminded reporters that America was founded on biblical principles. When faithful Christian Mike Johnson surprisingly became Speaker of the House, reporters asked him the same question.
Neither Speaker Johnson nor I follow a faith with adherents who believe their god commands them to kill “infidels.” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is a Shia Muslim who believes the Islamic messiah will come soon and begin his time on earth by killing all the Christians and Jews.12 Speaker Johnson and I do not advocate for an official state religion that everyone in America must join. But there is no “separation of mosque and state” in Islamic nations.
This Senate race in Michigan will impact our entire country. Writing in the Washington Post, columnist Marc Theissen, a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush, declared, “This race is bigger than Michigan.” Theissen added that El-Sayed’s victory in the same year we marked the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks “would leave an indelible stain on our country.”
He is right. I pray this year, in Michigan and all across America, Christians will turn out to vote in record numbers—for righteousness, truth, and our precious freedom of religion.
1. 1. Schanzer, Jonathan. “Blacklisting the Brotherhood.” Foundation for Defense of Democracies, March 17, 2026. https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2026/03/17/blacklisting-the-brotherhood/.
2. Ross, Chuck. “Abdul El-Sayed’s Family Has ‘long Been’ in Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, Senate Candidate’s Sister Said in Unearthed Social Media Posts.” Washington Free Beacon, October 11, 2026. https://freebeacon.com/democrats/abdul-el-sayeds-family-has-long-been-in-egyptian-muslim-brotherhood-senate-candidates-sister-said-in-unearthed-social-media-posts/.
3. Arguello, Ailin Vilches. “European Parliament Backs Calls to Put Muslim Brotherhood Entities on Terrorist List.” the algemeiner, October 8, 2026. https://www.algemeiner.com/2026/10/08/european-parliament-backs-calls-put-muslim-brotherhood-entities-terrorist-list/.
4. TOI Staff, Leon Kraiem, and Agencies. “Michigan Synagogue Attacker’s Brothers Said to Be Hezbollah Members Killed in IDF Strike.” The Times of Israel, March 13, 2026. https://www.timesofisrael.com/michigan-synagogue-attacker-was-us-lebanese-citizen-with-relatives-said-killed-in-idf-strike/.
5. Durden, Tyler. “Michigan Senate Candidate El-Sayed Apologizes for Comments after Synagogue Attack.” ZeroHedge, August 31, 2026. https://www.zerohedge.com/political/michigan-senate-candidate-el-sayed-apologizes-comments-after-synagogue-attack.
6. Graham, Tim. “Broadcast Bias: Networks Cover for Radical Hasan Piker despite Ties to Senate Nominee.” Fox News, August 8, 2026. https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/broadcast-bias-networks-cover-radical-hasan-piker-despite-ties-senate-nominee.
7. Ross, Chuck. “Abdul El-Sayed Has Campaigned Three Times with 9/11 Truther Imam Who Served in Iranian Propaganda Unit, Helped Lead Think Tank Sanctioned for Funding Hezbollah.” Washington Free Beacon, October 6, 2026. https://freebeacon.com/democrats/abdul-el-sayed-has-campaigned-three-times-with-9-11-truther-imam-who-served-in-iranian-propaganda-unit-helped-lead-think-tank-sanctioned-for-funding-hezbollah/.
8. Goodman, Alana. “‘He Is a Symbol of Jihad’: Abdul El-Sayed’s Imam Delivered ‘absentee Funeral Prayer’ Hailing Slain Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh as ‘Heroic Martyr.’” Washington Free Beacon, September 15, 2026. https://freebeacon.com/democrats/he-is-a-symbol-of-jihad-abdul-el-sayeds-imam-delivered-absentee-funeral-prayer-hailing-slain-hamas-leader-ismail-haniyeh-as-heroic-martyr/.
9. Womack, CJ. “Abdul El-Sayed Invokes JFK to Dismiss ‘crazy’ Questions over Family’s Alleged Ties to Muslim Brotherhood.” Fox News, October 18, 2026. https://www.foxnews.com/media/abdul-el-sayed-invokes-jfk-dismiss-crazy-questions-over-familys-alleged-ties-muslim-brotherhood.
10. Fox News Staff. “JFK ‘Wouldn’t Recognize the Democratic Party of Today,’ RFK Jr. Says at Republican Convention.” YouTube, September 10, 2026. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7ywJ8w_AQo.
11. Hanchett, Ian. “Sanders: If El-Sayed Wins, It Shows Anyone Can Win Anywhere.” Breitbart, October 9, 2026. https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/10/08/sanders-if-el-sayed-wins-it-shows-anyone-can-win-anywhere/.
12. Nal, Renee. “Zohran Mamdani’s Family Legacy of Radicalism: Trevor Loudon’s Warning to New York City (Video).” RAIR, June 23, 2025. https://rairfoundation.com/zohran-mamdanis-family-legacy-radicalism-trevor-loudons-warning/.
