Community Leaders
on Election 2004 (2)
By Lisette Poole
Editorial note: This is the second part
of a post-election survey of prominent American Muslim scholars.
American Muslims, like other communities in the United States,
became engaged in the Election 2004 process and members
from all walks of life say they have gained new insights
and sensitivities in the process.
Omar
Ahmad, Dr.Zahid Bukhari, Hadia Mubarak, Professor Aminah
McCloud
The most significant and long-lasting changes and expansions
were observed among the Muslim students.
Interviews revealed that the Muslim students, more than
any other segment of the American Muslim population, had
looked more intently and perceptively at the emerging sensitivities
and sensibilities. This was of course tied to their efforts
to translate their concerns into their votes. MSA-N is a
member of the American Muslim Taskforce on Civil Rights
and Elections (AMT).
An internal survey of 500 MSA members, available at http://www.msa-natl.org,
reveals a number of important trends:
1. 92% of the respondents are US citizens.
2. 85% were planning to vote.
3. 81% agreed with AMT’s criteria
to endorse a presidential candidate.
4. 75% were affiliated with a mainstream
political party. (Of all those who were registered 69% as
Democrats, 21% Republican 8% Green, and 2% other)
5. Asked about top issues concerning them
as students and citizen, the respondents offered the most
comprehensive list compared to all other segments of the
Muslim community. They actually came up with a list of 19
issues which included the following in descending order
of importance: civil rights, foreign policy, occupation
of Iraq, education, religious freedom, social security,
government subsidies, Palestinian- Israeli conflict, health
care, legislative reforms profiling, environment, crime,
media regulation, affirmative action, taxes, veterans, defense
and immigration.
Social and political analysts see learning and expansion
takin g place most noticeably among the Muslim youth. The
very fact that they identified and detailed their concerns
sets the stage for the expansion of American Muslim agenda
summarized as “equal rights for all and the restoration
of civil liberties” drastically curtailed following
9/11.
Hadia Mubarak, President, of Muslim Students Association-National,
and a student at Georgetown university, shared her views
during a telephone interview: “We feel a need to be
engaged and develop a more visible participation at local
levels. We seek to establish relations with others, especially
students. We affirm our identity as Americans living in
a pluralistic society that does not discriminate against
others. We care about community service, soup kitchens,
jobs after we graduate.”
She said that 130 MSA chapters across the United States
had reported positive experiences from their involvement
in the presidential elections. “People urged us to
speak up. They said they had a limited, or dis torted view
of religion and foreign politics because they only heard
one side of the issue.”
Prof. Aminah McCloud, DePaul University: “We must
focus on the domestic agenda and we must be concrete about
what we stand for. In 2004, Muslims have learnt a little
bit about all mainstream issues, particularly about education
and health. They have improved their sensibilities but they
will be judged by whether or not they stick around after
the elections. Issues are not going to go away and folks
are preparing to protest in different ways. Muslim should
take their intellectual genius and their resources to the
groups that are already there: cement new relations, pour
glue into these relations, and the Muslims will be fine.”
Imam Al-Hajj Talib Abdul Rasheed,Naib Ameer, Muslim Alliance
in North America (MANA), summing up his experience, said
he has vowed to remain engaged on several levels. “We
must remain involved in at the grassroots level, the county
level and state level, in sea son, off–season. It
is a slow and steady process.” He said he favored
alliances with other parties because issues of popular concern
would be tackled better with a bigger base. “We must
make others aware of our concerns. Civil liberties issues
are of prime importance to us, but the PATRIOT act affects
all Americans. Social justice issues like health for the
uninsured, jobs for the unemployed are important to us too.”
Yaphett El-Amin, state assemblywoman from Missouri, emphasized
the need for American Muslim groups to remain focused on
civil rights. “Our diversity can be a tremendous strength
to help us build from the grassroots up. To secure the needs
of our communities we must work in the inner cities, as
well as the countryseats. Education should be as important
to us in the suburbs as it is in the metropolitan areas.
We have to get beyond utilizing elections to voice our concerns.
It must be a steady, consistent, continuous effort”
to build a better America.
Dr. Zahid Bukhari, director and co-principal of Georgetown
university’s Muslims in American Public Squares Project
(MAPS), said he feels American Muslims have demonstrated
“political savvy” because despite the “discriminations,
detentions and harassment” they have experienced since
9/11, they are even more determined to remain involved on
political, social, economic and religious levels.
In a telephone interview, he explained, “In our survey,
we asked if people had experiences profiling, 25 percent
said yes. We asked if they had personally experienced discrimination,
40 percent said yes. We asked if they knew of someone who
had been discriminated against 57 percent said yes. Yet,
when we asked if American Muslims should choose to remain
politically involved, 90 percent said yes. When we asked
if they should select a candidate, 90 percent said yes.
When we asked if we should participate in social services
90 percent said yes, and when we asked if we should be involved
in events invo lving interfaith relations, 90 percent said
yes.
“These statistics speak volumes. They mean that in
the midst of the discouragement from detentions, arrests,
propaganda against Islam from religious organizations, American
Muslims still call America their home. The myth of returning
to the countries from which they came has been smashed.
They are choosing to take part in the issues of the society
in which they live.”
Omar Ahmed, Chairman Board of Directors, Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR), observed that while restoration of civil
rights remains the focus of American Muslim’s attention,
he and other AMT members will continue to work with other
parties—Greens, Libertarians, and Reform – to
tackle social justice issues as well. Economic prosperity
is important for every citizen in the United States. We
should like for everyone around us, what we wish for ourselves.
He said involvement with other political parties during
this election campaign was a “ positive experience”.
He added, “We have learned to act together and consult
each other. It was the first time that representatives of
other political parties had the chance to meet with the
American Muslim community in an official capacity. We were
able to share our concerns.”
Waheed Khalid, New
Jersey-based veteran political activist, said he favored
building alliances with other parties because “it
is important that we establish ourselves as a viable community
with equal rights as everyone else. In the aftermath of
9/11 many of our people were sent to jail, many are still
detained, we are given no explanation. Our civil rights
are being violated. We must work with others to build up
a stronger voice on these issues.”
Dr. Zedzib Sacirbey, Advisor, Bosniak American Congress:
“In this election the American Muslim community has
decisively (acted) for participation in the American Muslim
politics. In doing so, it has rejected those who are against
participation. This has e nabled Muslims to gain greater
knowledge of the political process and mainstream issues.
Due to organized efforts, the Muslim voter turnout was at
least 30% higher than 2000. Of course we have developed
new sensitivity to many new issues but denial of human rights
vastly diminishes one’s capacity to pay attention
to other issues. We need to take three steps to prepare
for 2006: voter registration, better understanding of how
the Democratic and Republican Parties operate on a daily
basis, and keep rich Muslim businessmen from imprisoning
Muslim politics in their drawing rooms.”
(Lisette B. Poole, a freelance journalist based in the San
Francisco Bay area, also lecturers at CSUH)
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