University of Chicago assistant professor Eman Abdelhadi (half-sister of Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, sharing the same mother, Fatten Elkomy) posted in 2012–2013 about family ties to the Muslim Brotherhood (MB). Key posts (as reported by the Washington Free Beacon and others, and corroborated in subsequent coverage): - June 24, 2012 (shortly after Mohamed Morsi’s election): “My family has long been MB, but I’ve always felt that it has navigated the political sphere poorly/destructively.” - Same day: “Had an amazing talk with my mom about her activism in the Muslim Brotherhood during the early 70s while she was in college #respect.” - July 2013: “I don’t support the #MB, but I have had family jailed for being a part of it.” And: “Praying for all my family that supports the #MB in Egypt. Lie low, stay safe.” She also referenced conversations with an aunt and other relatives about the group. These resurfaced after El-Sayed denied any personal or family ties to the Muslim Brotherhood on Meet the Press (when asked by Kristen Welker, he answered “No” twice and framed the questions as Islamophobic attacks from his opponent). He later dismissed the posts as “hearsay” and said he had never had those conversations with his mother. Their mother attended Alexandria University in Egypt in the early 1970s, a period when the MB had a strong campus presence there. Additional context in the reporting includes her past work for the Islamic American Relief Agency (later sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury for ties to al-Qaeda). Abdelhadi has also drawn separate attention for activism, an arrest related to an anti-ICE protest, and other public statements. The posts describe historical family connections on the maternal side (not formal membership or activity by El-Sayed himself) and do not claim he was involved. The Egyptian MB has since been designated a terrorist organization by Egypt and others; the U.S. has designated related entities. This has become a point of contention in the Michigan Senate race.