Minnesota Muslims “waking up” and expect to make
gains in voting today, by Ann Corcoran, 11/6/18.
The community is under assault. Fortunately, most of us are beginning to wake up.
The community is under assault. Fortunately, most of us are beginning to wake up.
From NPR:
Muslims Hope To ‘Wake Up’ At The Ballot Box This Year
On
a recent Saturday afternoon in an office in St. Paul, Minn., a flurry of calls
went out to Native American and Latinos voters reminding them to vote Nov. 6.
And there was a new group added to the list: Muslims.
Until last year, ISAIAH, a
multi-racial coalition of faith communities in Minnesota, was mostly made up of
churches. Now, 24 mosques have joined the voter turnout effort. The group is
focused on getting communities of color to vote this year in reaction to what
it describes as politics of fear and a rise of white nationalism.
Pals! Imam Asad Zaman (left) with Rep.
Keith Ellison. Will Ellison be Minnesota’s next Attorney General after
today?
With
Muslims and immigrants used as boogeymen in political rhetoric, Imam Asad
Zaman, executive director of the Muslim American Society of Minnesota, said, getting his community to the ballot box is
vital. Zaman is leading the local Muslim effort to get out the vote and has
been a leader on political engagement in the community for more than 15 years.
And there are more Muslims now running for office, hoping to be part of
a “blue wave.” In Minnesota, nine Muslims are on the ballot for state, federal
and local offices.
“Many
candidates running for office are using Islamophobia as a means to get to
political power. That is absolutely un-American,” Zaman said. “The community is
under assault. Fortunately, most of us are beginning to wake up.”
He
points out that in Minnesota there are 50,000 registered Muslim voters. Though
Muslims make up a small voting bloc — they’re about one percent of the nation’s
population — those votes can matter in close elections. Many feel a renewed
sense of urgency to choose leaders that will represent them.
About
two-thirds of Muslim voters identify as Democrats according to the Pew Research
Center and about 13 percent as Republican.
Muslim
populations growing in key battleground states -
“What’s
interesting is that they are clustered in key areas including battleground
states such as Virginia, Florida, Michigan, Ohio and especially in urban
areas,” Alzayat says. “So, for example you have about 120,000 registered Muslim
voters in the state of Michigan. You have about 120,000 registered in Florida.
You have about 100,000 registered in Virginia and those numbers really matter
because in close elections … just a few votes can make a difference let alone
tens of thousands, if not 100,000.”
It
is a long ‘glowing’ story, read more here. I have a huge Minnesota archive, go here if you have some time to read!
Comments
Keith Ellison won the
election and is now the Attorney General of Minnesota.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody
GA Tea Party Leader
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