|
|
"This
survey shows that presidential candidates will have to address
issues of importance to Muslims," said Awad
|
WASHINGTON,
June 30 (IslamOnline.net) – A majority of eligible American Muslim
voters would vote for Democratic presidential contender John Kerry and
independent hopeful Ralph Nader in the November presidential
elections, according to a poll released on Tuesday, June 29, by a
prominent American Islamic civil rights group.
Fifty
four percent of eligible Muslim voters said they would vote for Kerry
and 26 percent for Nader, an American of Lebanese descent, while 14
percent remain undecided, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
said.
According
to the survey of 1161 individuals taken this month, 34 percent of
respondents said the Democratic Party best represents American
Muslims' interests, closely followed by the Green Party at 24 percent.
Almost
one-quarter (22 percent) of those polled said no party reflected their
views.
All
figures are based on responses provided by eligible Muslim voters.
Almost
all of the respondents said they are registered to vote or plan to
vote in November.
Discrimination
The
results mark a shift in the choice of American Muslims from the 2000
elections, in which 55 percent of Muslims voted for incumbent
President George W. Bush.
Fifty
four percent of the respondents said they experienced some form of
anti-Muslim discrimination or bias in the past year and 87 percent
felt less secure since the US-led invasion of Iraq.
Nearly
57 percent of American Muslims polled by CAIR in 2002 complained of
having experienced bias
or discrimination since the September 11 attacks and 87
percent know of a fellow Muslim who experienced discrimination.
Asked
to list the most important domestic issues they will use to determine
a presidential choice, almost 40 percent of the polled cited civil
rights, followed by the economy at 25 percent.
While
more than 90 percent said Washington's policy in the Middle East is
the most important international issue.
Bush
triggered wrath of Muslim and Arab Americans by stating, with Israeli
Premier Ariel Sharon at his side in a press conference, that
Palestinian refugees could not return to their homeland and that
Israel could retain occupation of lands in the West Bank, in what is
dubbed as a "Bushfour
Promise".
Swing
Votes
"This
survey shows that presidential candidates will have to address issues
of importance to Muslims if they wish to garner and maintain support
in the Islamic community," CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad
said.
He
underlined that Muslims may be swing voters in politically-important
states such as Michigan, Ohio and Florida.
On
April 29, a poll
conducted by the Washington-based Arab American Institute revealed
that a majority of Arab Americans in four battleground states would
vote for Kerry if presidential elections were held that day.
The
poll found that 49 percent of all Arab-American voters in Florida,
Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania - all swing states in the November
election - would vote for Kerry, while 30 percent would vote for Bush.
Though
there are only about 510,000 likely Arab-American voters in the
states, the race could be close enough that even relatively small
numbers could make a difference.
In
2000, then Democratic presidential contender Al Gore won Michigan and
Pennsylvania by just over than 200,000 votes in each state, while Bush
won Ohio by 165,000 and the two tied in Florida.
Free
Religious Practice
On
other issues, only 11 percent of respondents said they are better off
now than they were four years ago. However, 81 percent said they feel
free to practice their faith in America.
Muslims
from 43 states responded to the survey, with the most responses coming
from California (17 percent), Texas (8 percent), Virginia (8 percent),
New York (4 percent), Florida (4 percent), Illinois (7 percent),
Michigan (5 percent), Ohio (5 percent), Maryland (5 percent), and New
Jersey (4 percent).
The
two largest ethnic groups listed in the survey were South Asian (37
percent) and those from an Arabic-speaking countries (28 percent).
Feeling
ostracized and betrayed by a number of oppressive laws enacted with
the blessing of the Bush administration, Arab and Muslim Americans are
trying to show they can be a mighty
political force and key player in this year's presidential
election.
