‘J.D., habibi’: Arabs celebrate as Michigan’s El-Sayed mocks foes with term of affection

From Michigan to the Middle East, Arabs are celebrating Abdul El-Sayed’s Senate win and delighting in his introduction of Arabic terms like “habibi” and “inshallah” to the American political lexicon.

After being the target of Islamophobic rhetoric on the campaign trail, the rising political star who will be the first Muslim-American US senator has mocked his critics on the right while championing the Palestinian cause and leaning into his faith and Egyptian heritage.

“J.D., habibi,” El-Sayed said in his victory speech, addressing US Vice-President J.D. Vance, who had warned that the candidate would lead rioters in burning down Detroit.

“There is this delicious irony in the fact that you’re constitutionally obligated to swear me in in January.”

“Habibi” literally translates to “my beloved” and is peppered through Arab pop songs. In everyday speech, it often means “buddy”, “pal”, or “bro”. El-Sayed’s supporters have sported shirts reading “Habibi for Abdul”.

El-Sayed, the son of Egyptian immigrants, said his campaign had turned “inshallah” – “God willing” – into “hamdulillah”, which means “thank God”.

Arabs thrilled to the gentle ribbing of the vice-president, with many posting music video clips featuring “habibi” to social media. It was a rare outpouring of joy in a region traumatised by past and present conflicts – which have also fuelled negative stereotypes in the West.

One internet user posted a video of Egyptian diva Shireen Abd El-Wahab dancing to one of her most popular songs, joking that El-Sayed would make it the new national anthem.

Egyptians are renowned in the Arab world for their sense of humour and are known for cracking jokes in the face of life’s difficulties, a spirit that has been popularised in films and by famous comedic actors.

Riffing off El-Sayed’s victory speech, some shared a meme from an Egyptian film in which a man attends a funeral while high and is unable to stop laughing. “I came here to crack jokes,” read the caption, quoting a line from the film.

An Egyptian academic, Khalil al-Anani, praised El-Sayed on social media, saying: “‘Habibi’ is the sweetest word.” He thanked the senator-elect for bringing joy to Egyptians.

Arab- and Muslim-Americans have faced prejudice for decades, with popular films depicting them as terrorists and politicians on the right fanning baseless fears about the imposition of sharia, or Islamic law.

During the campaign, US President Donald Trump referred to El-Sayed as a “jihadist”, evoked the September 11 attacks and deliberately misstated the candidate’s name.

On social media, users responded to such attacks by posting lighthearted videos, including of Lebanese diva Haifa Wehbe belly dancing and young veiled women breakdancing in the streets.

“Donald, look, I know you’ve struggled with my name,” El-Sayed said in his victory speech. “So after J.D. swears me in in January, you can just go on and call me ‘senator’.”