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American Muslim Participation In Tuesday’s Election
by Jamshed Bokhari
WASHINGTON (IslamOnline) - In what many political pundits are calling the election of the century, American Muslim voting participation in Tuesday’s election was equally historic as indications are emerging that the community has politically matured, possessing both growing political awareness and organization.
The success of Tuesday’s American Muslim turnout results from both the growing political maturity of organization’s advocating Muslim American causes and issues involving, and emerging from campaigns, forcing Muslims to act where they may not have acted before.
Among many domestic issues directly targeting and affecting the community were issues surrounding Federal secret evidence laws allowing imprisonment without formal charges of individuals based on evidence not required to be divulged to the public or those charged, curbs on immigration, and racial profiling in airports.
Issues that Muslims face as everyday Americans also play a role in political participation, ranging from income taxes to local street repair.
Several American Muslim groups have emerged within the last decade to challenge initiatives that are of direct concern to the community through contact with elected officials, allowing for their voice to be heard.
But this election year is special. For the first time, a number of organizations took the lead and initiative and publicly pronounced candidate endorsements, showing both unity and diversity.
First, a coalition of Muslim American groups united under the banner of the American Muslim Political Coordinating Council Political Action Committee (AMPCC-PAC), October 23rd and announced an endorsement of Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush.
The group was comprised of Presidents, Executive Directors and representatives of the American Muslim Alliance (AMA), the American Muslim Council (AMC), the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), who had gathered at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, to make the announcement.
In response to the AMPCC-PAC’s Bush endorsement, the Coalition for Good Government (CGG) announced on November 5th that it would endorse Democratic candidate Al Gore.
The CGG is one of several Muslim American groups comprised mostly of African American Muslims, while the several groups united in the AMPCC-PAC coalition are either comprised of, or advocate causes for, immigrant Muslims from countries in the Muslim world.
Although some observers have claimed that such divisions destroy the development of a united American Muslim voting bloc, allowing for politicians to take notice of significant American Muslim voting numbers voting together, others believe that political diversification within the community bodes well, indicating both wide ranges of political concerns and freedom of choice.
Aside from issues of concern prior to the campaign season, developments during campaigns aided in mobilizing Muslim Americans to vote, most especially in New York with the Hillary Clinton-Rick Lazio senate race in which American Muslim organizations and individuals were directly attacked.
IslamOnline visited polling stations on Election Day to see if Muslims were coming out to vote.
Voting for the first time, 18-year-old Rima Abdul-Khalek of Lebanese descent from Falls Church, Virginia, came out to vote saying, “It’s the best way to voice my opinion,” and that if one does not vote, “then you can’t complain afterwards.”
Both Rima and her cousin, Elissar Abdul-Khalek, voted for Ralph Nader.
Walid, from Falls Church, Virginia, originally from Jordan, was bothered by Gore, “He don’t help Muslim people or he didn’t support Palestinians, or the situation in the Middle East. It bothers me a lot,” adding, “And he supports Israel 100%.”
Janice, a Muslima originally from Ethiopia, concerned about domestic U.S. issues of working families, Medicare, and social security, said, “Every citizen have a right to vote, even Muslims, so we can have a voice in America.”
All those interviewed stated that they voted because Muslim voices in the United States had been ignored for too long and that they were unaware of any American Muslim organizations’ endorsement of presidential candidates.
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