El-Sayed victory draws mixed response in Egypt over criticism of Cairo

Abdul El-Sayed made history on Tuesday, becoming the first Muslim ever elected to the United States Senate. The Michigan Democrat is of Egyptian descent and faced racist and Islamophobic attacks during his campaign. His position on Gaza energized many supporters in the U.S. and across the Middle East. But in Egypt, the reaction to his win has been mixed. Many Egyptians see his victory as proof that American voters can look past religion and ethnicity. But El-Sayed's criticism of Cairo has muted official celebration. After winning his party's nomination in August, he said his family came from a country without democracy and called Egypt a military dictatorship funded by our tax dollars. Egypt's state media has largely ignored his win and pro-government commentators have dismissed his Egyptian roots. But many Egyptians still celebrated, enjoying his use of the Arabic word habibi in his victory speech.