Kerry is winning votes Bush won in 2000. (AFP)

WASHINGTON, October 22 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – A number of major US Muslim groups gave a "qualified endorsement" Thursday, October 21, to Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, calling on Muslims to vote for him.

The American Muslim Taskforce on Civil Rights and Elections - Political Action Committee (AMT-PAC) said in a statement that the Bush administration has “been insensitive to the civil liberties and human rights” of Muslims since the September 11 attacks.

“American Muslims are being treated like second-class citizens,” read the statement of AMT-PAC -- an affiliated political action committee of the American Muslim Taskforce on Civil Rights and Elections (AMT) which includes nine groups.

In 2000, a committee comprised mainly of the same groups endorsed Republican George W. Bush over Democrat Al Gore, because Bush had indicated he would address their concerns about the use of secret evidence in deportation hearings.

However, “unfortunately, the Bush administration has been insensitive to the civil liberties and human rights of American Muslims, Arab-Americans and South Asians,” read the taskforce's statement.

“American Muslims are also disappointed with a number of domestic and foreign policies instituted by the Bush administration since the 9/11 terror attacks,” it added.

Incomplete Support

“It's also a message for Bush that he lost the support he enjoyed in 2000,” said Awad.

Yet, the taskforce expressed disappointment also with Kerry, urging Muslims to vote for him only as a “protest vote.”

Kerry “has so far failed to explicitly affirm support for due process, equal justice and other constitutional norms,” it added in the statement.

Muslim leaders want abolishment of several parts of the USA Patriot Act, which gave the government broad powers to monitor citizens.

“We are also disappointed that his (Kerry's) campaign has shied away from expressing unambiguous support for principles enshrined in the US Constitution that prohibit use of ex post facto laws, secret proceedings and secret evidence,” said the statement.

But, it added, because pluralism is based on partial agreements, support for Kerry is “premised on our overall effort to help restore liberty and justice for all”.

“Mindful of disagreements with Sen. Kerry on some domestic and international issues, including the war in Iraq, we are willing to work with him to help restore due process and equal justice in accordance with the US Constitution.”

Vote Calls

The taskforce does not conceal its criticism of Kerry for his support to hard line Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's government.

Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington civil rights group that belongs to the task force, said the group decided to include its critique about Kerry in the endorsement to send a message to the Massachusetts senator.

“We want him to be very clear in his adherence to due process and the Constitution,” Awad said.

“It's also a message for Bush that he lost the support he enjoyed in 2000.”

The taskforce had also been leaning against backing a candidate, but some members felt not making an endorsement could inadvertently help Bush, New York Times said Friday, October 22.

The Muslim Public Affairs Council, a Los Angeles-based policy organization, broke from the task force this week, saying neither Bush nor Kerry deserved their backing.

Muslims are a potential swing-voting bloc in key battleground states such as Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

There are an estimated seven million Muslims in the United States.

Self-respect

Back in 2001, Bush speaking in a mosque.

On the other hand, independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader slammed the taskforce endorsement for Kerry, saying Muslims should have used their votes for securing promises from Kerry instead of endorsing him “for nothing”.

“There is something in Arabic culture called self-respect,” Nader told Al-Jazeera’s “From Washington” program, on American presidential elections.

Nader noted that Kerry shied away from attacking the Patriot Act, gave unqualified support to the Israeli government, and vowed continued attacks on other countries other than Iraq.

Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and former New Hampshire Gov. Jeanne Shaheen spoke to the task force on Kerry's behalf, said task force chairman Agha Saeed.

Kerry already has won the backing of many smaller Muslim organizations and individual Muslim leaders.

Polls show Kerry leading Bush among Muslim voters by a wide margin, although some still support Bush for his tax policies and his conservative positions on gay marriage and other social issues.

Black Vote

The taskforce decision came two days after civil rights leader Jesse Jackson insisted that polls suggesting lukewarm African American support for Kerry will be proved wrong on election day.

“Those numbers will not stand because blacks will often vote our interests,” Jackson told CNN.

“Our interest is in raising minimum wage, our interest is in overtime pay for overtime work, our interest is in affirmative action, our interest is in ending the war in Iraq,” said Jackson, who was himself a Democratic presidential contender two decades ago.

A survey Tuesday, October 19, by the Joint Center for Economic and Political Studies -- a Washington think tank focusing on issues affecting black Americans -- gave Kerry a favorable rating from just 78 percent of respondents, against a 16 percent unfavorable rating.

But Jackson predicted that African Americans would not only spurn Bush, but would cast votes for Kerry in record numbers.

“I am convinced ... that the black vote is going to be not only a bigger vote than ever before,” he said. “It is the swing vote.”