AhlulBayt News Agency: The results reflect a significant rise in Muslim political engagement, with anti-Muslim sentiment and the situation in Gaza emerging as major factors motivating voters.
According to CAIR, the successful candidates emerged from a group of 168 Muslim American candidates who advanced through their respective party primaries.
Seven Muslim Americans are expected to take seats in Washington, D.C., according to the report. Among them are incumbent representatives Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, André Carson and Lateefah Simon, along with newcomers Adam Hamawy, Aisha Wahab and Darylisa Avila Chevalier.
Abdul El-Sayed is also set to become the first Muslim elected to the US Senate, where he is expected to serve a six-year term.
The victories mark a historic milestone amid what several organisations describe as a sharp rise in anti-Muslim rhetoric and hostility. Groups including the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), the Centre for the Study of Organised Hate and the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) have reported growing anti-Islamic sentiment, particularly among Republicans.
Muslims make up approximately one per cent of the US population, or around 5.5 million people, yet the community faces extensive media scrutiny and online attacks.
Before the elections, MPAC warned that voter intimidation tactics could discourage Muslim Americans from participating in the electoral process. However, Muslim voter registration reportedly increased by at least 25 per cent over the past year, while at least one survey indicated that 93 per cent of Muslim respondents had cast their ballots.
among religious groups, Muslim voters were the most likely to support Democratic candidates.
This marks a shift from the 2024 presidential election, when more than 20 per cent of Muslim Americans reportedly voted for Donald Trump, who had pledged to end wars and improve purchasing power.
Aruj Ali, communications director of the nonpartisan Georgia Muslim Voter Project, said Muslim voters increasingly based their decisions on policy issues rather than party affiliation.
“Muslims are voting more on the basis of policies than party lines, so many of them actually identify as independents rather than aligning themselves with either the Democratic or Republican Party,” Ali said.
He added that Georgia had recorded its highest-ever early voting turnout in a midterm election this year. Around 30,000 Muslims reportedly voted early in the state. By comparison, the total number of Muslim votes, including ballots cast on Election Day, stood at just 36,000 in 2022.
Islamophobia and Muslim voter mobilisation
The increased political participation comes amid a series of anti-Muslim incidents reported across the United States over the past month. These include vandalism and offensive graffiti on buildings in California, threats to shoot Muslim women wearing hijabs in Illinois, and a shooting at a mosque in California that left a security guard dead.
The mosque shooting occurred shortly after MPAC published a 36-page report titled *Manufacturing the Muslim Threat*.
The report alleges that Republican elected officials organised a coordinated campaign against Muslims in 2025. It cites 1,111 social media posts, eight legislative bills and the formation of a 62-member congressional caucus, arguing that these actions met criteria for rhetoric that could potentially incite violence.
A CAIR survey found that Islamophobia was a major factor behind Muslim Americans' increased political engagement during the current election cycle. Around 70 per cent of respondents said anti-Muslim sentiment had motivated them to vote.
Meanwhile, the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, which produces the National Islamophobia Index, has reported a continued rise in anti-Muslim attitudes. According to its latest findings for 2025, the index increased from 25 in 2022 to 33 in 2025 on a scale of zero to 100.
Despite these developments, the incidents have not achieved what their perpetrators may have intended: creating fear among Muslims and discouraging them from public life.
Samira Manshi, the only Muslim woman to serve on the Trump administration's Advisory Board of Lay Leaders within the Religious Liberty Commission, resigned in March in protest over the prevailing conditions. Speaking to *Middle East Eye*, she said demographic changes within the Muslim American community had made the younger generation more confident and politically assertive.
“I essentially belong to Generation Z, so I do not have a full understanding of the consequences of the September 11 attacks and the conditions of that era,” she said. “I think our generation, which grew up aware of those events, has not experienced the same sense of despair and disappointment felt by many older Muslims or those who were eligible to vote at the time. I believe this has encouraged our generation to become more seriously involved in politics.”
Gaza and Palestine shape voting decisions
Manshi also said that challenges to pro-Israel and anti-Palestinian narratives and policies in popular culture over the past three years had encouraged Muslim Americans to adopt firmer political positions.
According to the CAIR survey, 76 per cent of Muslim voters identified Gaza and Palestinian human rights as among their most important concerns.
Furthermore, 80 per cent said Israel's military offensive in Gaza had significantly influenced their voting decisions. The offensive has been described as genocide by the United Nations and Holocaust scholars, according to the report.
Manshi pointed to changing positions among prominent public figures, including Tucker Carlson, as evidence of a broader shift in public discourse.
She also argued that establishment-aligned Democrats were gradually being replaced by progressive political forces that support Palestine and strongly oppose Israel's policies.
Economic concerns remain central
Despite the importance of Islamophobia and Palestine-related issues, surveys conducted by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding indicate that Muslim Americans, like the overwhelming majority of voters, have also based their electoral choices largely on economic concerns and job creation.
Ahmed Matei, president of the nonpartisan organisation American Muslims in Public Service, expressed pride at the growing number of Muslim Americans entering public service and leadership positions across the country.
In a written statement provided to Middle East Eye, he said the increasing presence of Muslims in elected office and civic institutions was both inspiring and significant.
“These victories are the result of years of community engagement, perseverance, hard work and the growing participation of Muslim Americans in shaping the future of our communities and our country,” he said.
He added that the results served as a reminder that Muslim voices mattered, their participation was important, and they had a meaningful role in decisions shaping their lives.
Editorial note: The source text contains an apparent inconsistency in its count of Muslim representatives heading to Washington: it says seven, but separately lists seven House members and one Senate candidate. The article preserves the reported names and figures without attempting to resolve that discrepancy.
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