Whom Should Muslim Americans Vote for on November 5?
By Aslam Abdullah
CA

There are six responses to this crucial question.

• Muslims should vote for Democrats, as they have a liberal and progressive agenda.
• Muslims should go with the Republicans, as their conservative value system is closer to theirs.
• Muslims should not participate in electoral democracy because it never serves people.
• Muslims should vote for a third-party candidate.
• Muslims should vote for the Green Party for its position on Palestine and the genocide perpetrated by the apartheid state of Israel.
• In battleground states, Muslims should vote for Democrats, and in all other states, they can choose a third-party candidate.

Muslim political leaders tend to support the first position. They have benefitted from their relations with the Democrats and do not want to ruin their relations with the party leadership. These groups would appeal at the eleventh hour to support the Democrats, making the argument that the Trump Administration would be a disaster for democracy.

Most Pakistani Muslim leaders have leaned towards Trump. They hope that the new administration will work to restore democracy in Pakistan.

Most Muslim voters are upset with Trump and Kamala for their support of the genocide committed by the apartheid state of Israel. They will vote for a third-party candidate, most likely the Green party.

Muslim votes can swing elections in three Senate seats, 30 congressional districts, and the Presidential race in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

Muslim Americans must realize that they are not political beggars. They are equal citizens with the same rights as others and should use their votes to highlight their opinions on domestic and foreign affairs.

Both political parties have submitted to lobbies and big donors, ignoring people's interests. Muslims must assert their independent will and declare through the ballot that democracy is not an oligarchy. It is a moral position in the country's best interests, and they should not shy away from expressing it on election day.

Muslims oppose foreign countries dictating their terms on America. In the recent war in the Middle East, both political parties have aligned with Israel and provided billions of dollars to support the genocide committed against innocent people.

Muslims owe it to their country to take a firm stand on these two issues. They should vote for a candidate who opposes lobbies and foreign interference. It is the only position they can take as members of a value system that believes in justice, liberty, human rights, and fair play.

(Dr Aslam Abdullah is a resident scholar at Islamicity.org and editor-in-chief of the Muslim Observer newspaper. He is also the Indian Islamic Heritage Project director of the American Federation of Muslims of Indian origin and the interim President of the World Council of Muslims for Interfaith Relations, WCMIR.)