Who is Abdul El-Sayed's Sister? Eman Abdelhadi's Past Remarks Revealed
Newsweek · C · trust 54/100
0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. The sister of Democratic Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has drawn attention for a series of past comments and legal controversies that could provide ammunition for Republican attacks in one of the country's most closely watched Senate races.
Eman Abdelhadi, a writer and academic, has faced criticism over comments about the October 7 attacks, remarks on race and racism, and her arrest at an anti-ICE protest last year, where she was accused of spitting on an Illinois state trooper.
El-Sayed won the Democratic primary earlier this month and will face Republican Mike Rogers in November in a race that could help determine control of the Senate.
El-Sayed has not publicly engaged with the comments his sister has made that are currently being scrutinized.
Newsweek has contacted Abdelhadi and the El-Sayed campaign via email for comment.
Abdelhadi is a half-Egyptian and half-Palestinian writer and academic.
She is an associate professor at the University of Chicago in the Department of Comparative Human Development.
She is the co-author of the book Everything for Everyone: An Oral History of the New York Commune, 2052-2072 and a columnist for In These Times . She has also written a poem and a short story for the book Homosexual Intifada, which was written by queer Palestinian writers.
Abdelhadi, a Muslim, identifies as queer and goes by she/they pronouns.
She is an activist and engaged in politics, and regularly shares posts about political causes and her faith. She has posted about Islamophobia, the war in Iran, and advocated for causes related to Palestinians through the Israel-Hamas war.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched an attack on Israel which killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Israel responded with a large-scale military operation targeting Hamas.
A June report from the United Nations said that the Israeli military action resulted in genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza. Israel has denied this.
A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect on October 10, 2025.
According to a 2025 article from the Chicago Sun Times Abdelhadi has been subjected to anonymous death threats throughout her academic career.
Turning Point USA, the conservative nonprofit founded by the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, put her on their Professor Watchlist. The Times reported that she then received hateful emails, letters, messages and phone calls and that this intensified after Kirk’s death in 2025.
She told the outlet that she had written a will and said, "I just don’t think that I would be living up to my values if I relented in the face of this harassment. I try really hard not to let the fear stop me from saying what I think is right."
She has spoken out in support of her brother’s Senate campaign. In April 2025, she wrote on X, "The feeling when you think you’ve accomplished a lot but then your older brother runs for senate!!!"
She added, "In all seriousness—Abdul is fighting for healthcare, housing, and an economy that serves people over oligarchs. I am a proud little sister."
Newsweek has compiled a list of past remarks made by Abdelhadi.
The Anti-Defamation League, a U.S. based civil rights and anti-hate organization included Abdelhadi’s post about October 7 in an article entitled: "Some U.S. Professors Praise Hamas’ October 7 Terror Attacks."
Lee Kuan Yimby, a writer and volunteer ambassador to the Republic of Somaliland, wrote in a post on X about the video shared by Abdelhadi on October 7 2024: "Here is an October 7th celebration video From Abdul El Sayed's Sister, Eman Abdelhadi."
After the remarks made about University of Chicago in the summer of 2025, the university announced an investigation into Abdelhadi. She still teaches at the university. A clip of those remarks has circulated widely on X, with one post by the right-wing account Libs of TikTok of Abdelhadi’s comments having been viewed over 300,000 times.
The conservative commentator Benny Johnson shared a compilation of her past posts on X, including where she criticized Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July and said, "These people just straight up hate this country, our traditions and the people who live here."
Some groups criticize the Thanksgiving and Fourth of July holidays because they associate the holidays with historical injustices, political disagreements or concerns about how inclusive the celebrations are.
Johnson ended his post calling on Michigan to "reject El-Sayed."
It is currently unclear what, if any, bearing the comments made by Abdelhadi will have on El-Sayed’s Senate bid.
A recent Fox News poll showed Rogers leading El-Sayed 51 percent to 47 percent, giving the Republican a four-point advantage. A recent poll from MIRS/Mitchell Research had the election as a toss-up, with both tied, while a June poll from TIPP had El-Sayed ahead by a point at 43 percent to 42 percent, according to the latest averages on Real Clear Polling.
El-Sayed is currently campaigning ahead of the elections on November 3.
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