Some US Muslims are struggling to find a presidential candidate they can tolerate supporting

ATLANTA – with death And Destruction in Gaza Sureyya Burhani had the issue of how to vote for the president on his mind.

“I see that it is not a good choice for us Muslims,” ​​he said.

With the USA taking up the issue Israel-Hamas war and conflicts in the Middle East appears White House race, many American Muslim voters — who are most They supported President Joe Biden four years ago — they are struggling with voting decisions.

After U.S. support for Israel left many outraged and ignored, some are calling for Democrats to be rejected, including opting for third-party options for the presidency. Others are grappling with how to express their anger at the ballot box amid warnings from some against another Donald Trump presidency.

As Biden noted, for voters in swing states like Georgia won in 2020 With fewer than 12,000 votes, the weight of such decisions can be increased.

When it comes to voting, “the answers are all over the place and not aligned with one political party as they have been in the past,” said Shafina Khabani, executive director of the Georgia Muslim Voter Project. “Our societies are sad; they mourn; they mourn; They’re angry and confused.”

Burhani, a Malaysian American, ultimately voted for Kamala Harris but said it was a vote against Trump rather than supporting the Democratic vice president. “It was very difficult. It was very painful. It was very sad.”

Burhani had become the spokesperson for the recently launched “No Peace, No Peaches” campaign, which calls for Harris’ votes to be withheld unless demands are met, including a halt to arms shipments to Israel. The group ultimately encouraged voters to “vote with their conscience at the ballot box, keeping Palestine in mind.”

He said some “couldn’t bring themselves to vote” for Harris and would support the Green Party’s Jill Stein instead.

Among them is Latifa Awad, who has relatives in Gaza, and she said she wanted her vote for Stein to send a message: Our voices matter.

“People say, ‘If you don’t vote for Kamala, you’re voting for Trump.'” But he added: “They both support Israel.”

Jahanzeb Jabbar said he voted for Trump in 2020 and supports him this year as well.

“If Trump was in office and this was the case, I wouldn’t vote for him,” he said. “My vote would have been available if the Democrats had taken a very strong stance on a ceasefire and a halt to military aid to Israel.”

He sees Trump as a “better option” for peace and says the Republican candidate is a good deal maker. Jabbar rejects warnings from some that things will get worse under the Trump administration and questions how the situation could get worse after Israel’s military offensive in Gaza has already killed more than 43,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials.

The war was sparked by an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants killed approximately 1,200 people. about 250 hostages.

In 2020, nearly two-thirds of Muslim voters nationwide supported Biden and about one-third supported Trump. According to AP VoteCast. Biden’s support left many feeling betrayed, even guilty.

“They see that these elected officials they voted for are actually financing a war against themselves that is killing their own families and friends,” Khabani said. He also noted that community members have warned against another Trump presidency, recalling Trump’s ban affecting travelers while he was in office. Many Muslim-majority countries. Biden lifted the ban.

Khabani said some Muslims are also concerned about issues such as: maternal mortality rate Health care affordability and gun safety in Georgia’s Black communities.

He said many weren’t sure if they wanted to vote. He and others urged them not to overlook down-ballot races.

At the national level, some religious leaders have supported various sides of the debate.

A letter signed by a group of imams and other leaders called on U.S. Muslims to reject what they said was a “false duopoly” and make a statement by voting for a third party in the presidential election.

“We will not tarnish our hands by voting or supporting an administration that has shed so much blood on our brothers and sisters,” he said, emphasizing that this did not mean supporting Trump, whom he criticized.

A different group of imams said the benefits of supporting Harris “far outweigh the harms of other options.”

“Knowingly allowing someone like Donald Trump to return to office, whether by voting directly for him or a third-party candidate, is both a moral and strategic failure,” the letter said.

Trump provided assurance in the swing state of Michigan number of approvals Muslims, including two mayors, and even many other leaders came out negative towards him.

Harris and Trump jockey for dominance Arab and Muslim American voters And Jewish votersespecially in the tough races in Michigan and Pennsylvania. Racially and ethnically diverse U.S. Muslims make up a tiny share of the overall electorate, but community activists hope mobilizing more of them, especially in key states with significant Muslim populations, will make a difference in nearby races.

“If you don’t live in a swing state, I envy you,” said Georgia State Representative Ruwa Romman, a Democrat of Palestinian descent. “For those of us in swing states… it was a suffocating and overwhelming responsibility.”

Romman’s name was among those suggested by “independent” activists who were pressing for a Palestinian speaker. Democratic National Convention scene. Rejection of this request To the dismay of many who want Harris to distance herself from Biden’s Gaza policy. Some praised Harris for striking a more empathetic tone toward the suffering of Palestinians, but said she failed to translate this into action.

If Romman were to give a speech, he would call for the election of Harris and the defeat of Trump and outline his demands, including a ceasefire. He laments that a speaker’s “symbolic gesture” was dismissed as a missed opportunity but says Trump would be “much worse” for Palestinians. “I’m annoyed that I’m sitting between two immutable entities, right? The Harris campaign and the community,” he said. “Sometimes it feels like they’re really drifting apart.”

“If I believe there is a chance to stop genocide under Harris but not under Trump, don’t I have a moral obligation to step up to the plate?”

One attendee at a recent Arab American convention in Michigan told Romman that it was “disgusting” that he was willing to get on the DNC stage and offer an endorsement without any policy changes by the administration.

Nasrina Bargzie, director of Muslim and Arab American outreach for Harris’ campaign, said in a statement that throughout her career, Harris “has been steadfast in her support of our country’s diverse Muslim community, including ensuring they live free from hateful policies.” Harris added: “We will continue to work to end the war in Gaza in a way that ensures that Israel is safe, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their rights to dignity, security, and freedom.” self-determination.”

Trump campaign senior advisor Brian Hughes stated that the Harris-Biden administration’s “failed foreign policy has brought death, chaos and war to the Middle East” and added that “only Trump will restore peace and stability for all people in the Middle East.” May he protect the religious freedom of all Americans, as he did in his first term.”

Trump touts his support for Israel and as president Jerusalem was declared As the capital of Israel.

At Al-Islam Masjid Al-Islam in Atlanta, Georgia, where the congregation is predominantly African American, mosque-goer Sabir Mohammed said: “As Muslims, we are of course disheartened by the situation in Gaza and cannot support the government’s complicity. .”

He said he felt he had little choice in this election (Trump is not an option for him) and would probably vote for Harris, later adding that he had voted but wanted to keep his choice private.

“We are in an impasse,” he said.

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