Three men who said they had left radical Islamic movements and converted to Christianity spoke at the University of Michigan in 2007. Abdul El-Sayed, now Michigan’s Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, helped protest their appearance and praised students who walked out.
Walid Shoebat, Zachariah Annani and Kamal Saleem described claimed past involvement with the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Muslim Brotherhood. They also spoke about their conversions to Christianity. Their accounts of their former activities have faced heavy scrutiny from Muslims like El-Sayed.
Fox News, citing a report published at the time by The Michigan Daily, said students dressed in yellow protested the event. Some walked out during the talk. El-Sayed, then vice president of the university’s Muslim Students Association, praised their action.
“We’ve done something good today, and we need to keep that going in the future,” El-Sayed said, according to the campus newspaper.
Order Jonathan Cahn’s New Book, “The Altar of Pergamon” on Amazon.com!
Event organizers said they wanted to educate students about Muslim extremism. Protesters said they believed the presentation generalized Muslims.
El-Sayed’s campaign spokesperson, Cole Wozniak, told Fox News that the candidate has “unequivocally denounced terrorism.” Wozniak said El-Sayed objected to the speakers because he considered their stories unreliable.
The dispute has returned to public attention as El-Sayed faces Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers in Michigan’s Senate race. The men’s message included a claim with profound meaning for everyone who hears their testimonies: that their lives radically changed after they embraced Jesus Christ.
Students protested their appearance, and El-Sayed celebrated the walkout. Those actions are part of the record as voters consider his candidacy.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
