Posted on 04/11/2004 5:05:15 PM PDT by Sub-Driver
Muslim Americans say they will flex political muscle in 2004 Sunday April 11, 2004 By JENNIFER FRIEDLIN Associated Press Writer NEW YORK (AP) Nizar Yaghi hasn't decided for whom he'll vote on Election Day, but one thing is certain the Muslim American will cast his ballot this November.
``After Sept. 11, I understood that Muslim Americans need to come out and present themselves to the Americans,'' said Yaghi, a 28-year-old engineer from Schenectady, N.Y. ``One way to do this is through the political process.''
With the 2004 presidential election approaching, people like Yaghi are stepping up efforts to encourage their fellow Muslims to register to vote and to convince the presidential candidates that they need to be accountable to the Muslim American community, which numbers up to 7 million, according to estimates.
Although Muslim groups say there are only about 4.2 million eligible Muslim voters out of 200 million eligible voters overall, they believe these voters could have considerable influence on the November election.
``We believe this election will be a very tight one and small communities can play a major role, particularly in battleground states such as Michigan, Ohio and Florida, where a majority of Muslims live,'' Omar Ahmad, national chairman of the Council on American Islamic Relations, said at a news conference on Saturday.
Ahmad's group is one of several that belong to the American Muslim Taskforce on Civil Rights and Elections, an umbrella organization that aims to register 1 million Muslims to vote and to educate Muslims about the presidential candidates' positions.
Agha Saeed, the chairman of the task force, said his group hasn't decided which presidential candidate it will endorse, but he said it would weigh the candidates' positions on civil rights issues, the economy, crime prevention and education.
``We are going to hold town hall meetings all over the United States for the community and for the candidates to engage in a dialogue where we bring ourselves up to speed on these issues and create common cause with fellow Americans,'' Saeed said.
Muslim leaders made their first unified endorsement in a presidential race in 2000, backing George W. Bush. Many thought he would take a harder line against Israel and, based on statements he made while campaigning, would protect the rights of immigrants facing deportation.
Many Muslims said they have been disappointed on both counts. They also have objected to the USA Patriot Act, which gave the government broad powers to monitor citizens after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
A spokesman for the Bush re-election campaign, Scott Stanzel, said the president would work to maintain the support of the Muslim community by appealing to its beliefs in ``strong family, opportunity and the ability to achieve the American dream.''
A spokesman for Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry could not be reached by telephone for comment.
Shortly after 911, while perusing islamic websites, I came across an editorial by a muslim shaming those who had flown the planes into the WTC. What he said was - be patient and keep bringing the students in from other countries, teach them well, and get them into politics. He said - there is a peaceful way to do this.
I have kept track of the institute in Virginia discussed in the link I posted above somewhere in my posts. They use Saudi money to send their graduates to Harvard, Princeton, etc. Precisely, I believe, to get them well-placed, in law, politics, medicine, where ever they can be helpful in the future.
Just my personal paranoia.
Oh. I thought you were a quick1.
Anyway, that's one of the great suicidal notions that we here in the west tend to carry around with us - that muslims are somehow "like us". It typically surfaces in discussions in the form of "some of my best friends are muslims".
There's a very instructive case that you should read, it's floating around here on FR. Several articles about this muslim who after a lifetime of "moderate" islam suddenly has a "religious awakening" and cuts the head off a Jewish friend, then gives himself up with the words "I have killed my Jew". Yeah, maybe you should be a little vigilant how things taste ;).
He's still formulating a way to be on both sides of the issue.
The one I recall reading, probably here, had quotes from all of his friends at the U, with the usual "what a nice guy" statements.
You're not getting it :). The point is not about going nuts. The point is that this muslim, after years of "dormancy", suddenly explodes into true islam, doing what the Koran commands. This is not an unusual occurrence, by any means. Here's another one:
Enemies, foreign and domestic. You seem to have a great deal of problems with the concept. You also seem to be illiterate: I told you not to ping me again. Now go away and read your Koran. Maybe that squiggly stuff can calm you down.
And lest anyone should think that the west really won the war against the Soviets, go and do a google for "the hum of the hive".
Now consider: the muslims are better at it than their instructors. They do the same kind of longterm planning and implementation, with the added ingredient that they do not particularly want to live. In fact, on some discussion boards they're talking about killing off all life on the planet as a desirable goal.
I really hate that the Islamofascists that have been making our lives miserable for years have driven good Americans to react this way. I don't blame my fellow citizens either - I have these same feelings myself at times.
Odds are that this woman is a well-adjusted person with love in her heart just trying to make it through the day. If this is the case, her fellow muslims have created a horrendous reality for her. It follows that the WOT is also about clearing the world of these murderous scumbags so that, one day, she and her children won't have to deal with being the objects of scorn.
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