By the age of 32, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, who is Egyptian-American, had achieved much at such a young age – having become a doctor, educator and civil servant in Detroit. And now, he has announced that he is running to be governor of Michigan. “I’m not running to be the first Muslim governor,” says Dr. El-Sayed. “I’m running because I believe I will be the best governor for the state of Michigan — whether or not I’m Muslim.”
Dr. El-Sayed says his Islamic values are at the center of his work as a civil servant along with his desire to serve the people of Michigan. “My focus is, has always been, and will always be people,” says the doctor/politician. “My work has always been about building and leading the kinds of institutions that create opportunities for real people by breaking down the barriers that they face in their lives to being able to have the opportunity we want for my children. That work has never been more important than it is today.”
“I am running because of the values my Islam teaches me — which includes beliefs in equity, the fundamental rights of all people, a belief that we will judge ourselves as a people based on how we treat the most vulnerable,” continues Dr. El-Saye. “A belief in being good to others fundamentally, a belief in respect and dignity to one’s neighbors and one’s friends and one’s family.”
