Former US President Bill Clinton inspired Abdul El-Sayed, elected the first Muslim senator in US history, to enter politics.
Clinton was impressed by a speech El-Sayed gave at the University of Michigan’s commencement in 2007. He later spoke to him and advised him to run for office.
Recalling the episode recently, El-Sayed said Clinton’s praise and advice may have shaped the path he took.
At the University of Michigan’s 2007 commencement, both El-Sayed and Bill Clinton, the 42nd president of the United States, gave speeches. El-Sayed had only five and a half minutes for his. His theme was the “Michigan Difference”.
Bill Clinton took the stage after El-Sayed. Without any prepared remarks, he praised El-Sayed’s speech.
Clinton said everyone in the world who believes a clash of civilisations is inevitable, and that people cannot reach across religious divides, should hear El-Sayed’s speech. He wanted the whole world to be able to hear it.
The written transcript of Clinton’s commencement speech of 28 April 2007 also records this remark.
El-Sayed said Clinton came up and spoke to him after the ceremony. At one point the former president advised him to run for office, and praised his skill in communicating his message to people.
In El-Sayed’s words, Clinton’s praise and advice may have influenced his later life.
El-Sayed recently posted the video of his 2007 commencement speech on his YouTube channel. Sharing the video on Facebook in May this year, he wrote that being chosen as commencement speaker when he graduated from the University of Michigan in 2007 was one of the greatest honours of his life.
In 2019 he also spoke at the commencement of the University of Michigan School of Public Health.
In the Senate election in Michigan on 4 November, Abdul El-Sayed defeated Republican candidate Mike Rogers, becoming the first Muslim elected senator in US history. He is due to be sworn in as a senator on 3 January 2027.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report