The Making of a New America
By Dr Aslam Abdullah
Fontana, CA
It was not supposed to come to this close. With 250,000 Covid deaths, the Muslim ban, racial attacks, and the deteriorating economic conditions, Trump should have lost the Presidential race in a landslide. But he once again displayed his oratorical and charismatic magic, drew millions of his fans to pooling booths, and won states that pundits had predicted he would lose.
In the end, voters in Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Nevada collectively shut the White House doors for Trump. The contest was tense, and it appeared, that Biden would be unable to climb the ladder of Presidency. But county after county started building steps for him to walk in the Presidential office with Kamala Harriss, the daughter of a multi-racial family.
Trump and Biden's approach to voter participation was identical. Both focused on increasing votes in counties predominantly red or blue. Both succeeded in inspiring more Americans to use the ballot to express their opinion. Of the 239.2 million Americans eligible to vote, 159.8 million or 66.8% cast theirs, the highest since 1900. Biden secured more than 74 million, the highest any Presidential candidate ever got.
The election was not about religion; however, religious communities voted. Protestants are 26 percent of the voters, Catholics 22%, other Christians 18%, others 8%, Jews 3%, Mormons 1%, Muslims and Hindus under one percent.
In this election, 61% Protestants, 50% Catholics, 71%Mormons, and 51% Other Christians voted for Trump, while 68% Jews, 61% other religious groups, 64% Muslims and 59% Hindus voted for Biden.
One report published by CAIR said that 70 percent of Muslims voted for Biden and 17 percent for Trump. AnAP survey revealed that 64 of Muslims voted for Biden while 35% voted for Trump.
In Minnesota and Michigan, two Muslim congresspersons, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, retained their Districts and played a pivotal role in Biden's victory. Andre Carson, in Indiana, was the third Muslim to maintain his District.
In Michigan, he beat Trump by 150,000 votes. Clinton lost the state by 11,000 in 2016. In Minnesota, the victory margin for Biden was higher than in 2016.
The Muslim votes were crucial in all battleground states for Presidential, senate, and house races. They overwhelmingly voted for Biden. There were 110 Muslims who ran for various offices in different parts of the country. Over 50 of them won. Most of the winners were younger people representing several ethnic communities.
Biden's victory is the people's victory. One hopes that in domestic and foreign affairs, Biden would reflect the people's aspirations. The US does not exist to patronize dictators and human rights violators in India, Israel, Saudi Arabia, or any part of the world. The primary obligation of a US Administration is to serve Americans.
The country would expect Biden to take swift action on COVID-19, economy, immigration, environment, and racial equality. He has the mandate and he should use it for the good of all, and not for the well-being of an elite or a part of the country only.
(Dr Aslam Abdullah is resident scholar at islamicity.org . He is editor in chief of Muslim Observer and a trustee of American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin. He gives Friday sermons at Islamic centers in California and other states)
