Shakira Backs Abdul El-Sayed's Viral 'Shakira Law' Pun: 'Finally, a Law My Hips Can Agree With!'

Colombian singer Shakira has joined Michigan senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed's 'Shakira Law' joke on Instagram, asking whether Congress could pass the fictional measure. Her comment drew attention on Thursday, 12 November, after his victory in the US Senate election.

'Finally, a law my hips can agree with! Habibi, think you can get it through Congress?' she wrote beneath a video shared by El-Sayed's team. The remark referenced her hit song 'Hips Don't Lie' and a campaign joke directed at claims about his Muslim faith.

El-Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan's 3 November election. He is due to become the first Muslim US senator when he takes office in January 2027.

How Abdul El-Sayed Revived the Shakira Law Joke

The joke predated his election victory. It originated during the campaign, with a video posted to El-Sayed's TikTok account on 14 October.

In the clip, he rejected claims that he wanted to impose Sharia law, the religious and ethical framework associated with Islam. He then introduced a fictional alternative named after Shakira, saying its only commandment was that hips should not lie.

He illustrated the punchline with a small hip movement. That brief gesture made the response easy to share, but the accusation behind it was serious.

El-Sayed faced attacks from political opponents questioning his faith and loyalty. Claims that he intended to impose Sharia law were unsubstantiated. His joke rejected the allegation rather than announcing any policy.

The wordplay was already familiar online. According to meme archive Know Your Meme, examples of 'Shakira Law' appeared as early as 2013, long before El-Sayed's Senate campaign.

In 2018, then congresswoman-elect Ilhan Omar used the same pun after an Instagram commenter accused her of wanting to enforce 'Shakira Law'. She, too, answered with a reference to 'Hips Don't Lie'.

Shakira Law Draws Fresh Attention After Michigan's Election

Shakira's intervention gave that older internet joke a new audience. Her question about Congress was playful, and nothing in the exchange suggests she endorsed El-Sayed's party, policies or campaign.

The political context was nevertheless difficult to miss. According to the Associated Press, President Donald Trump and other Republicans sought to associate El-Sayed with terrorist organisations during the campaign, despite there being no evidence of such ties.

El-Sayed's victory put those attacks in the spotlight again. He had won an open Senate seat in a closely watched race, making his October video relevant to a different conversation about representation in Washington.

In his victory speech, El-Sayed accused Republicans of targeting his name and faith instead of addressing voters' financial concerns. That was a markedly different setting from his light-hearted response in October.

Instagram users responded to the joke's delivery as well as Shakira's reply. One wrote, 'That's such a dad joke.' Another said, 'Abdul is becoming a rockstar!'

Other reactions praised his handling of questions from the press, sometimes separating appreciation for the humour from support for his politics. Some users instead extended the joke with references to Shakira's songs.

El-Sayed's campaign, meanwhile, centred on policies including universal healthcare and reducing outside money in elections. Those issues, rather than the fictional 'Shakira Law', are among the questions awaiting him in the Senate