American Muslim reformers are torching political commentator Wajahat Ali after he warned that «the fire will rise» and people will be «radicalized» if Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed loses his Michigan Senate bid, saying his language echoes a «Jihad First» intimidation rhetoric used by religious tyrants before elections in the Middle East.

On Monday, Ali drew fire on X when he wrote: «If, God forbid, Abdul loses, this will be a watershed moment in Democratic politics. The fire will rise. It’s over. People will be radicalized against corporate, pro-Israel Dems. There will be a reckoning. If, when, he wins, it will be a watershed moment. And that reckoning will still come.»

After facing backlash, Ali posted another message Tuesday morning, expressing no regrets and instead scolding critics for alleged bigotry. «Ah, that Islamophobia and anti-Arab bigotry are so pure and naked,» Ali wrote. «People are just coming out in the open about how they’ve always felt. Great. Please, be honest. Just share the ugliness with the world so we can all see.»

Ali didn’t respond to a request for comment from Digital.

Reform-minded Muslim leaders aren’t buying Ali’s rhetoric.

The divide with Muslim reformers reflects a broader fissure within American Muslim politics: between establishment organizations and leaders who accept political Islam, or Islamism — the idea that religion should shape government and political life — and reform-minded critics who challenge orthodoxy, reject anti-Israel and anti-Western rhetoric and support secularism, including the separation of mosque and state.

«What Wajahat Ali said on the eve of elections is actually the language we’ve seen Islamists use before elections in countries in the Middle East, including Egypt,» Dalia Ziada, an Egyptian Muslim reformer and critic of political Islamism, told Digital.

«The threat is usually: If you don’t choose us, this will lead to radicalization, and this will lead to violence,» added Ziada, who is Washington, D.C., director at the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy. «Maybe we need to expect troubles coming up.»

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Soraya Deen, a Muslim reform activist, attorney and co-founder of the Los Angeles Women’s Multifaith Alliance, said Ali’s language shouldn’t be treated as a routine social-media outburst.

«His words are deeply troubling,» Deen told Digital. «His warning that ‘the fire will rise,’ that people will be ‘radicalized,’ and that a ‘reckoning’ is coming deserves serious scrutiny.»

«Losing an election is not a license for radicalization,» added Deen, . «We must reject intimidation, political extremism and the politics of perpetual grievance.»

EX-DSA MEMBER RIPS ABDUL EL-SAYED AND WARNS FAR-LEFT ADOPTING POLITICS OF FOREIGN TERROR ORG

Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, a Muslim reformer and founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, said Ali’s comments reflect what he describes as a «Jihad First» lens for viewing political conflict.

«Wajahat Ali, like Abdul El-Sayed, proves yet again their decades of anti-American Islamist obsession and the ‘Jihad First’ lens through which they view every cultural, social, military and political conflict,» said Jasser, who is running for Congress as a Republican candidate in Arizona’s 4th Congressional District.

Jasser’s comments were directed at what he described as the political rhetoric surrounding El-Sayed’s campaign. The reformers didn’t accuse Ali of belonging to an Islamist organization. Their criticism focused on language they said resembles tactics used to pressure voters by warning that rejecting a candidate could produce violence or radicalization.

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Ali’s comments came as El-Sayed’s campaign draws support from a wide network of Muslim advocacy groups, Palestinian activist organizations, progressive groups, labor organizations and political influencers.

A Digital review of campaign endorsements, public statements and voter-mobilization efforts identified 70 Muslim groups and influencers supporting El-Sayed’s political orbit one way or another. The records include formal endorsements, campaign-listed support, voter mobilization and public amplification. Not every organization has the same relationship with the campaign.

They include CAIR Action, Americans for Justice in Palestine Action, Bangladeshi Americans for Political Progress, Emgage Action and the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights. El-Sayed’s official website includes endorsements from «Muslims for Abdul,» the Yemeni American Michigan Democratic Caucus, the Michigan Bangladeshi American Democratic Caucus and Palestinian American political operative Linda Sarsour’s MPower Action, among others.

ABDUL EL-SAYED REPORTEDLY CALLED HASAN PIKER WARNING HIS RHETORIC WAS ‘COSTING’ VOTES

The broader coalition supporting El-Sayed includes Democratic Party organizations and Democratic Socialists of America chapters, as well as online commentators and political figures including Hasan Piker, Linda Sarsour, Rep. Ilhan Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib.

The organizations and individuals have overlapping priorities, including opposition to U.S. support for Israel, demands for an arms embargo or cease-fire, support for Palestinian activism, criticism of Democratic moderates and efforts to mobilize Muslim and progressive voters.

The coalition’s critics have described it as a «red-green» alliance involving «red» left-wing political organizations and «green» Muslim advocacy groups.

«Their red-green ‘Jihad First’ filter — threatening fire and radicalization — is simply an unmooring of their own dreams to live the jihad of Islamism and destroy the American dream and everything for which it stands,» Jasser said. «Patriotism is not in their vocabulary.»

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For Ziada, the significance of Ali’s post lies in the suggestion that an election loss could trigger radicalization.

«Muslims like Wajahat Ali are just using the political movement backing Abdul El-Sayed as a staircase to bring them to the power of a chair they want to claim,» Ziada said. «Once they get there, they don’t care what they may have promised. And if they don’t get there, they will turn it into fire.»

Ziada also criticized El-Sayed’s campaign rhetoric about Israel, comparing what she described as repeated attacks on Israel to political tactics used by leaders in the Middle East. Tuesday morning, President Donald Trump announced that he would cut off $4 billion of aid to Israel, one of the network’s demands, designed to isolate the nation.

«The demonization of Israel that we saw very prominently in the campaign of El-Sayed is a tactic that we saw Middle Eastern dictators resorting to every now and then,» Ziada said.

«Whenever they are stuck with economic issues or politics, they just bring up the ‘Israel is bad’ card,» she added. «Again, he is just copying dictators in the Middle East.»

Jasser said the episode should prompt Muslim voters and Democratic leaders to examine the language used by political influencers who claim to speak for Muslim communities.

«Any honest Muslim who reads that post will see ‘Jihad First’ and everyone else be damned, including patriotic Muslims,» Jasser said.

Ali has emerged as a prominent media figure over more than two decades, writing for and appearing on outlets including The Daily Beast, The New York Times, CNN and The Guardian. He also hosted programming for Al Jazeera America.

His political activism began after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when he became involved in campus protests at the University of California, Berkeley. He later worked with Democratic operative Faiz Shakir, who became campaign manager for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, at the Center for American Progress, a nonprofit established by former Clinton administration chief of staff John Podesta.

Ali has continued to weigh in on Israel, Democratic Party strategy and Muslim political activism, regularly drawing fire. Earlier this year, in a broadcast with former MSNBC host Joy Reid, the two decried «weak White mean» in a heated anti-Trump rant.

Most recently, Ali hosted a speaker who criticized Democratic House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries for receiving political contributions from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, calling him an «AIPAC monkey.» The smear drew cries of racism against Jeffries, who is Black.

Now, Muslim reformers are scolding Ali for making comments that seem to threaten voters with «fire,» a «reckoning» and a «radicalized» citizenry if his preferred candidate loses.

Deen said the response to an election should be political disagreement, not warnings of unrest.

«Losing an election is not a license for radicalization,» Deen said. «We must reject intimidation, political extremism and the politics of perpetual grievance.»

politics, elections, white house, congress, democratic party, republicans

Los registros oficiales de las autoridades migratorias evidenciaron un cambio notable en los flujos procedentes de Centroamérica. Durante el año fiscal 2026, las detenciones de ciudadanos salvadoreños en la frontera sur de Estados Unidos cayeron un 96.1% en comparación con 2023, una cifra que refleja el descenso más marcado de los últimos años en las interceptaciones de personas indocumentadas procedentes de ese país.

El balance de la Patrulla Fronteriza marca un punto de inflexión en las dinámicas de movilidad de El Salvador. La disminución de cruces coincide con la intensificación de las medidas de control y disuasión implementadas tanto en el terreno como en el plano preventivo, donde las representaciones consulares y los cuerpos de seguridad reforzaron la vigilancia en los corredores habituales de tránsito hacia el norte del continente.

El trabajo articulado entre la administración salvadoreña y Washington constituye uno de los factores determinantes detrás de este descenso estadístico. Ambos gobiernos sostienen convenios operativos continuos que abarcan el intercambio de:

• Inteligencia en tiempo real
• La desarticulación de estructuras dedicadas al tráfico ilícito de personas
• Mayor fiscalización en pasos no habilitados.

Este esquema de colaboración busca neutralizar las operaciones de los grupos criminales que lucran con el traslado clandestino de migrantes y contener los focos delictivos en las comunidades locales.

Al valorar esta relación estratégica, el vocero de la embajada de Estados Unidos en El Salvador, Timothy Brown, destacó el compromiso del Ejecutivo salvadoreño en las metas de contención y orden público territorial.

“El gobierno salvadoreño ha sido un socio excelente en la seguridad de muchas maneras, incluso contra el narcotráfico, contra la migración ilegal”, afirmó el funcionario, tras remarcar que la coordinación entre ambos Estados resulta indispensable para resguardar la estabilidad de toda la región centroamericana.

Además, el portavoz abogó que la estrategia conjunta no se limita al despliegue policial y a la persecución penal de las bandas de traficantes. Las dos administraciones ejecutan programas de comunicación pública orientados a advertir a la población sobre:

1. Los peligros extremos de la ruta migratoria
2. Las inclemencias del desierto
3. Los abusos de los denominados coyotes, quienes cobran altas sumas de dinero por traslados que ponen en riesgo la vida de las personas.

Las sanciones migratorias impiden regularizaciones futuras y visados de trabajo

Junto con el balance operativo, la delegación diplomática estadounidense insiste en que los límites territoriales permanecen cerrados a cualquier ingreso que carezca de autorización previa. Las autoridades recalcaron que cruzar de manera clandestina acarrea penalizaciones jurídicas inmediatas y de largo alcance.

Es decir quienes resultan expulsados quedan sujetos a sanciones que les impiden solicitar visas de turismo o permisos laborales durante varios años, lo que anula cualquier opción de regularización futura.

El portavoz norteamericano explicó que la ciudadanía en El Salvador y en el resto de la región comprende con mayor claridad los riesgos físicos y las trabas legales que enfrentan quienes desafían la normativa vigente.

En ese sentido, Brown enfatizó la necesidad de recurrir únicamente a los canales institucionales: “Existen todavía rutas legítimas para entrar a los Estados Unidos de manera legal, con visa, con permisos de trabajo. Pero no pueden entrar de manera ilegal, no pueden buscar documentos falsos, no pueden cruzar caminando la frontera”.

La insistencia en las vías regulares responde a la disponibilidad de mecanismos legales administrados por las vías consulares, entre ellos permisos de empleo temporal y programas específicos de reunificación. Las delegaciones de ambos países mantendrán activas las mesas técnicas de trabajo para supervisar las estadísticas en la zona limítrofe y consolidar las medidas preventivas frente a la migración irregular.

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An internal strategy memo released by the campaign committee for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N. Y.) and distributed to key allies makes the case that the lawmaker has evolved from a progressive firebrand into a formidable national political force.

The five-page document makes no mention of a potential 2028 presidential or Senate run. Instead, it urges stakeholders to view her record as that of one of the Democratic Party’s most effective messengers for working-class voters.

Following President Donald Trump’s 2024 election victory, the memo states, Ocasio-Cortez launched an aggressive nationwide push to rebuild the party around economic populism and establish a broad movement for working families.

CARVILLE TORCHES DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS AS ‘PACK OF FOOLS,’ PRAISES AOC’S POLITICAL EVOLUTION

«Over the past two years, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez has built a record of success that extends beyond her own electoral victories,» the memo reads. «The Congresswoman has emerged as one of the most powerful endorsements in the United States and New York State specifically. Candidates from rural districts and battleground seats see her as an asset for their general election campaigns.»

The document highlights her fundraising reach, citing more than 2 million contributions totaling $38 million, an average donation of $17. 56, and over $3 million funneled to other Democratic candidates and state parties.

‘SQUAD’ RAKES IN RECORD $2.35M WHILE SLAMMING THE DOOR ON COP DONATIONS

Her small fundraising operation is unmatched in the House and rivals that of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., the memo claims.

According to the document, Ocasio-Cortez’s strategy was shaped by post-2024 conversations with «Trump-AOC» split-ticket voters in her New York district, who expressed deep, cross-partisan frustration with a political establishment perceived as favoring corporate billionaires over ordinary workers.

BERNIE SANDERS ADMITS DEMOCRATS FAILED WORKING-CLASS VOTERS ON ECONOMICS, DRIVING THEM TO DONALD TRUMP

«As Democrats tried to understand why Trump had won again, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez argued that the path for the party to win back working class voters should be centered on economic populism, confronting concentrated wealth and power, and revitalizing American democracy,» the memo states.

The memo points to race-altering endorsements in key primary and general election races across California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Montana. It highlights Abdul El-Sayed’s Senate campaign in Michigan and Sam Forstag’s Congressional primary victory in Montana as central case studies of her influence in rural and conservative-leaning areas.

AOC SIDES WITH BERNIE-BACKED PROGRESSIVE IN SENATE PRIMARY CLASH WITH SCHUMER ESTABLISHMENT

Forstag trailed significantly in the polls before joining Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders on stage at their «Fighting Oligarchy» rally in Missoula, Montana. Following her endorsement and appearance, he was able to erase the deficit and win the Democratic primary.

The document outlines a turning point following her unsuccessful bid for ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, alongside a March 2025 budget standoff in which Senate Democratic leadership accepted concessions during federal shutdown negotiations.

In response, Ocasio-Cortez shifted focus to taking her message directly to voters.

BERNIE SANDERS DISMISSES HALEY STEVENS, SAYS MICHIGAN RACE IS AGAINST THE ‘BILLIONAIRE CLASS’

Speaking at a rally in Idaho, Ocasio-Cortez laid out the central thesis of her national tour:

«I want us all to understand that this constant pressure we feel in our lives—of the water rising up to our throats, the impossibility to afford anything easily, the fear of speaking up or being who we are in public, the bitter divisions driven more by online algorithms than the truth, the crumbling of our rights and protections— understand that this, right now, is what it feels like to be governed by billionaires,» she said.

In the two years since, the memo states, Ocasio-Cortez has held large-scale rallies in purple, red, and blue places alike.

«She made race-changing endorsements in swing districts and deep-blue party primaries, as well as in her home base of New York City,» the memo added.

politics, alexandria ocasio cortez, democratic party, us