A"Tonight, we can turn Inshallah (God willing) to Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God)".Hearing these words from the victorious US Senate candidate from Michigan, Abdul El Sayed, may have been a moment of catharsis for countless American Muslims. The shopkeepers who were attacked after 9/11. The kid who was bullied in school. The woman who was targeted for her Hijab. The teenager who saw people looking like him and his family being vilified in films and video games. People who were subjected to so many loyalty tests that it became second nature for them. People who were, and still are, told to 'stay in their place' sometimes explicitly, sometimes implicitly.It is cathartic also because over the past two months, many of them had been made to relive the same traumatic moments through the Islamophobic attacks on Abdul El Sayed during the campaign. US Midterms: Democrats Win Big, But Can They Change Trump's Immigration Agenda?"Jihadist Leprechaun", "Terrorist", "Fit For Guantanamo Bay"Here's a sample of the comments Abdul El Sayed had to face from top Republicans. We are not even talking about the barrage of hate online and TV or dog-whistle attacks. "Twenty-five years later (since 9/11), Michigan needs to stand up and fight to stop a jihadist from walking into the Capitol" (President Donald Trump)“He would be the only senator that will have to go through a metal detector before he's allowed to go into the Senate.” (Trump)“Are you for America, or are you for these terrorist groups overseas?” (Mike Rogers, El Sayed's rival in the Senate race)“My nickname for the guy is the jihadist leprechaun.” (Republican Senator Ted Cruz)"He is a passionate supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood, there is a very real risk that Americans will die as a result.” (Cruz)"Every single Muslim holding public office in America is a trojan horse, and a threat to both national security and our republic.” (Representative Nancy Mace)"He's a better fit for Guantanamo Bay than the halls of Congress.” Republican National Committee (RNC) Press Secretary Natalie Baldassarre Besides these, El Sayed was called an "Islamist", "radical", "sexist", "anti-Semite" and someone who "wants to impose Sharia law in the US". The Washington Post analysed approximately 8,800 posts, podcasts and newsletters from prominent political figures following El-Sayed's primary victory. By 18 August, almost one-third of right-wing posts about him mentioned Islam, Muslims or Sharia.The bigoted attacks weren't the only problem. What made it worse was the perceived silence of the Democratic establishment and many liberals. For average American Muslims watching this, the message was that attacking Muslims is somehow more acceptable than any other form of hate.The situation changed a bit after former US President Barack Obama campaigned for El Sayed and called out the hate. Zohran Mamdani Sworn in as New York Mayor: The Power of a Vilified MinorityFor an average American Muslim, these attacks came as a punch in the gut for one particular reason. It challenged their belief that they would be fine in the US if they worked hard and "assimilated". Abdul El Sayed is an ideal example of assimilation and the American dream: college topper, doctor, captain of the lacrosse team, Rhodes Scholar, public health official. The only thing that El Sayed failed to do as per the common-sense of average Muslim immigrant parents is "keep his head down".Responding to HateFor the most part, El Sayed responded to the hate by taking the conversation back to his core policy message with statements like: "My name and faith aren't the reason you can't afford your groceries."However, he didn't quite turn the other cheek. His responses were often irreverent, even combative. "I'll be Senator Mohammad to you, bro," he said, responding to Trump calling him "Mohammad". To Vance he said, "JD, habibi, it is an irony – you are constitutionally obligated to swear me in in January.”A particularly telling interaction was when a young man named Tommy asked him to disavow the Muslim Brotherhood. In response, El Sayed did disavow the Muslim Brotherhood but challenged the assumption underlying the question. Eventually, he pressed Tommy into admitting his own lack of belief in the Constitutional separation of religion and State. His critics accused him of "bullying a kid for asking a question". It was later reported that Tommy's father was connected to the Republican campaign. But there are layers to El Sayed's approach.His conversation with the African American community was very different. He candidly admitted to some racist attitudes among sections of the Arab American community of Michigan. In an interview with Ashley Allison he said, "For too many black Detroiters, their experience with somebody who looks like me is not a good one.”He asked to be judged by his own character and his work within the community as Detroit's Health Director. El Sayed's rival during the Democratic Primary, Haley Stevens, tried to weaponise these differences. But this backfired badly after she endorsed his Republican rival, Mike Rogers, a few days before polling. Many African Americans in Michigan were incensed at Stevens repeatedly talking on their behalf despite not being black herself, and also the manner in which she chose an African American church to announce her switch. She got called out for using the church as a prop and for backing a leader whose policies have harmed African Americans. How to Fight the Right? 4 Lessons from US, Brazil & Serbia for Indian OppositionPhases in the Battle Against IslamophobiaIn the 25 years since 9/11, the pushback against Islamophobia in the US has come in phases closely tied to American foreign policy: the Iraq War, the Epstein Files, the Gaza Genocide and the War in Iran. (More on this here.)The rise of Trump 2015 onwards intensified Islamophobia but inadvertently weakened it as well. His anti-Muslim rhetoric, calls for a "Muslim ban" and targeting of politicians like Ilhan Omar made it acceptable for people to openly abuse Muslims. But it also made Islamophobia naked, unlike the more sophisticated and insidious Neocon version that had take root post 9/11. Trump weakened its hegemonic nature in American society. Then, Trump's promise of 'No Foreign Wars' especially in the Middle East, also led to a weakening of the narratives that were used to justify such wars. Nothing exemplifies this more than the transformation of Tucker Carlson from Islamophobe to the most prominent pro-Muslim voice on the Right. Trump also polarised American society like never before. This created space for solidarities between Muslims and other targeted groups and their coalescing behind the Democratic Party's Left flank. The Gaza Genocide, Epstein Files and the Iran War have greatly weakened the Israel lobby that has been one of the main forces driving anti-Muslim narratives in the US. Gaza created a collective guilt among a sizable section of Americans on their tax dollars sent to Israel being used to fund a genocide. With the Iran War, the consequences of supporting Israel started impacting the everyday lives of Americans: in the form of rising gas and grocery prices. There Will be a ReactionBarack Obama was followed by Trump 1.0. 'Woke 1' — the Democratic Party's focus on 'cultural' rather than economic issues — contributed to Trump 2.0. Whenever majoritarian forces feel threatened, they attack with vengeance. Ted Cruz has already given a glimpse of what's coming by alleging a "Communist and Islamist takeover of the Democratic Party" and, by extension, the US Congress. Cruz is the most prominent Republican trying to build his own 2028 presidential campaign on the debris of Trump's mid-term debacle. This line of attack is likely to continue right up till the 2028 Republican Primaries, if not the Presidential Election itself. In this context, Abdul El Sayed and other progressive Muslim democrats like Zohran Mamdani, Ilhan Omar and Darializa Chevalier are going to be the boogeymen and boogeywomen for the Republicans and maybe even some Democrats. This may have consequences for the average American Muslim as well. The other entity that will change strategy to adapt to the new reality is the Israel lobby, which is increasingly being seen as a liability. AIPAC already changed its strategy during the midterms by backing candidates without publicising their contributions, cognisant of the public anger. Their new strategy is likely to be three-fold. First, using the massive midterm mandate to make a case against Progressive Democrats. Second, strengthening neocons within the Republicans at the expense of leaders like JD Vance, who has already blamed Israel's influence and the Iran War for the mid-term defeat. Third, go back to the sophisticated Islamophobia of the early 2000s. Leaders like Mamdani and El Sayed have so far been extremely effective in countering the hate and side-stepping the traps laid out for them. The challenge may even come from within the pro-Democrat side. For instance, a liberal anchor tried to get the victorious Texas Senator James Talarico to say that he will oppose El Sayed in the Senate, while another tried to push El Sayed on "condemning those who commit violence in the name of his faith". The trouble for them is that as Muslim politicians, they will be expected to remain flawless all the time. It's back from Alhamdulillah to Inshallah.Ties to Hindu Right and AIPAC: Reasons Behind Shrinking of US Samosa Caucus