Yes extremists, he is not an extremist by any stretch of the word.
Sharia-related comments: In a 2009 New York Times profile (as a medical student), El-Sayed described a “sacred obligation” to follow Sharia law in all aspects of life until death, tied to obtaining a Sharia-compliant mortgage. He later denied living a strictly “Sharia-compliant” life during his 2018 gubernatorial run. 
• Bookshelf in 2018 documentary: Footage showed books by figures linked to radical Islam, including Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips (unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing case, banned from multiple countries, and defender of certain controversial practices), Irfan Ahmad Khan (Jamaat-e-Islami, which sought Sharia governance), and Sheikh Mohammed al-Ghazali (Muslim Brotherhood member who viewed refusal to implement Sharia as apostasy). El-Sayed directed the crew not to film the shelf (“keep the shot secular”); his campaign later said it was not his personal bookshelf and that he “reads widely,” including opposing views. Other titles included works by Ibn Taymiyyah, cited by some jihadist groups. 
• Muslim Brotherhood and Egypt: He signed onto a 2012 statement defending the Muslim Brotherhood’s rule in Egypt under Mohamed Morsi (including power consolidations). The Trump administration later designated the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization. Conservative critics, including during his 2018 run, noted his earlier campus role as vice president of a Muslim Students Association chapter (an organization critics link historically to Brotherhood networks). 
• CAIR donations and ties: His campaign received over $115,000 (some reports cite higher figures from affiliated funds) from dozens of individuals connected to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), including board members. CAIR was named an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation case (the largest U.S. terrorism-financing prosecution, involving funds to Hamas). He has spoken at CAIR events and criticized measures such as Oklahoma’s Sharia ban by comparing them to historical U.S. atrocities. 
• Other associations: Longtime links to Linda Sarsour; appearances/support involving figures such as Hasan Piker (who has praised aspects of Hamas and made extreme statements); and endorsements or events involving groups with leaders tied to past Hamas-linked charities (e.g., American Muslims for Palestine network). Sen. Ted Cruz and Center for Security Policy analyst Kyle Shideler publicly flagged these as raising homeland-security concerns in a 2026 Senate hearing focused on Muslim Brotherhood networks in the U.S. 
Birth mother (Fatten Fathy Elkomy): Worked for the Islamic American Relief Agency (IARA, also known as Islamic African Relief Agency) roughly 1999–2004. The U.S. Treasury designated IARA a specially designated global terrorist organization in 2004, citing its overseas branches’ provision of hundreds of thousands of dollars to Osama bin Laden in 1999, affiliations with Maktab al-Khidamat (al-Qaeda precursor co-founded by bin Laden), joint programs assisting Taliban fighters, and conduits to Hamas. Court exhibits in related proceedings reference her name multiple times in connection with wire transfers and calls (including to Iraq operations); she was never charged or named as a co-conspirator. In a 2004 interview she described her work as helping orphans and denied terrorist links. El-Sayed was primarily raised by his father and stepmother and has rarely highlighted his birth mother in campaign materials. 
Father-in-law (Dr. Jukaku/Tayeb Jukaku or similar transliterations): Nephrologist; former president and board member of CAIR-Michigan; member of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) founders committee (ISNA was also linked in Holy Land Foundation materials). He has been a significant donor to pro-El-Sayed super PACs. Cruz and Shideler explicitly cited these as Brotherhood-linked institutional ties. 
