Opinion
American Muslims and US elections
Shabbir Ahmad Wahgra
The Muslim community in the US has enjoyed an uninterrupted presence for more than a century. Yet, American Muslims remain conspicuous by their absence in many spheres of public life. Despite being about two percent of the population, Muslim representation in policy-making is almost negligible even when such policies directly affect Muslims in the US or abroad. Muslims in America, like their counterparts abroad, are grappling with issues related to democratisation, gender equality, minority rights, religious tolerance, freedom of thought, and social justice.
The American Muslim community is unique in its diversity. Studies indicate that 36 percent of American Muslims were born in the US, while 64 percent were born in 80 different countries around the world. No other country has such a rich diversity of Muslims. The American Muslim community is thus a microcosm of the Muslim world. The American Muslim Poll by Project maps showed that the American Muslim community is younger, better educated, and better off financially than average Americans. More than three-quarters of Muslim respondents reported that they had been involved with organisations to help the poor, sick, homeless, or elderly.
A majority of American Muslims (approximately 58 percent) believed that individuals, businesses, or religious organisations in their community had experienced discrimination since September 11, 2001. An overwhelming majority (approximately 93 percent) nonetheless favoured participation in the American political process. There are an estimated eight million Muslims in the US which is more than Jews in number (Population of the Jews in America is approximately six million). Muslims are a potential swing-voting bloc in key battleground states such as Florida, Michigan, and Ohio.
In any country, every community should know that their vote is the best guarantees of their civil rights and the best expression of their citizenship. Politics is a necessary part of life as it is related to lawmaking and if any community does not actively participate in it, politicians and political parties may neglect their needs or create legislation that is detrimental to them. Muslims who are not active in voting or participating in political activities may be doing a great disservice to their fellow Muslims. They may be limiting the efforts and weakening the position of the American Muslim community.
For the first time one can see hope in the Muslim-American community as this time they are looking more interested than ever before in the political process, in part because their religion has been reduced to a talking point in the presidential campaign. Like many other Americans, the estimated 2.3 million Muslims living in the US have been hurt by a limping economy, a problematic healthcare system and an unclear immigration policy. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have also hit close to home. This time American Muslims have to show more political maturity like other minorities, Indian Americans, never had a separate Indian or Hindu strategy. Instead, they joined the local communities in every state and every constituency in supporting the winners and thereby protecting their interests. There are Democrats and Republicans among them but they do not endorse or reject any party as Indian Americans, Muslims in America have to do the same.
The best strategy for immigrants in any country is to protect their interests according to local political situation without aligning with or against any party. But the way, American Muslims reacted to political division in the recent US elections, siding with one candidate and against the other, is amazing. Many American Muslims want to support Obama based on the rumour that he is a Muslim or born as Muslim which Obama himself denied and asserted repeatedly that he is a Christian and emphatically pledged his patriotism. Even during his campaign two women were told not to sit behind Obama because they were wearing head scarves. Campaign volunteers thought it would look bad if the women were seen behind the candidate in a photo or on television.
American Muslims as community members must become visible in campaigns of their choice, join hands with other like-minded fellow Americans working for the same candidate to create awareness of issues important to the American Muslim community and they should support both parties rather than siding with one party entirely and making other party their enemy and suffer in their hands in future as they always did in past.
The results of that national survey, commissioned by the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) indicated that the American Muslims are thinking in the right direction in 2008 elections as when asked which issues will have the most influence on their voting decision, education was the top pick (89 percent) followed by civil rights (86 percent), health care policy (85 percent) and economy (85 percent).
American Muslims participated in two events. One is ‘Interfaith gathering’ which was attended by many leading figures within the party, including DNC Chairman Howard Dean, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-NC) and Gov. Bill Ritter Jr. (D-CO), the second event was the American Muslim Democratic Caucus (AM-DC).
Although Muslims were well represented in the official interfaith programme, there was lack of Muslim visibility regarding audience attendance. The same holds true regarding Muslim presence as delegates on the convention floor. The Caucus meeting was good for a first year effort and will need to do more outreach from a broader spectrum to have more participation with varying perspectives for future events. Despite these shortcomings, the ‘Interfaith gathering’ and the first AM-DC were overall successes and major steps towards political empowerment of the Muslim community on a broader scale.
American Muslims have to become an organised political entity in the American political landscape. Muslims speaking out, showing up in numbers and being involved in the political process will enable their vote to be sought-after by political nominees. They will then be taken seriously, and considered a vital constituency by candidates of all political parties; thus, requiring them to address issues of great concern to their community. American Muslims are increasing in numbers; hence, they stand to make an increasingly significant difference in the outcome of elections.
They need to become educated about the governing process, and the laws and issues that affect them as this will allow them to understand American political proceedings, and encourage their participation in a vitally important activity that greatly impacts their lives as well as the way they are viewed by non-Muslims. American Muslims should also take advantage of their rights as American citizens, and become involved – as members of school boards, in mayoral offices, on city councils, and running for government positions and offices – while maintaining their duties and obligations to Islam. Imagine the great status this will bring to American Muslims, and the great message they can send to others!
Unfortunately, the Bush administration has been insensitive to the civil liberties and human rights of American Muslims, Arab-Americans and South Asians. Today, American Muslims are being treated like second-class citizens. American Muslims are also disappointed with a number of domestic and foreign policies instituted by the Bush administration since the 9/11 incident which prompts American Muslims to side with the Democrats but instead of aligning themselves with Republicans or Democrats, the Muslim community should be united and support both parties in such number that can be felt at the national level and they can get benefits whosoever wins the 2008 presidential election.
The writer is a freelance columnist based in Rawalpindi