Michigan race: All you need to know about Abdul El-Sayed v Mike Rogers

Dearborn, Michigan – Chadi Abdulrazek, an Arab American political activist who has been volunteering to help elect Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, says he’s spoken in recent days to journalists from Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom.The United States Senate race between El-Sayed and his Republican rival Mike Rogers is attracting national and international attention, reflecting the potent political symbolism that belies its outcome, which extends far beyond one seat in the upper chamber of Congress.Supporters in each camp paint the contest as a crucial fight that could shape the political direction of the state and the nation for years.Abdulrazek, a small business owner, said the election is a chance to hold Trump accountable for breaking his promises to pursue peace in the world and focus on the needs of Americans.For Arab and Muslim communities that have been facing Islamophobic attacks as part of the Senate race, the vote is pivotal, he added.“What’s on the line is they have to stand up for themselves and say, ‘We are part of this country, and we’re going to be voting, and we will actually make a change’,” Abdulrazek told Al Jazeera.Here,...