Muslim leaders in swing states pledge to ‘abandon’ Biden over his refusal to call for ceasefire [Dec 03 2023 | Edward Helmore | The Guardian]
“We are not powerless as American Muslims. We are powerful. We don’t only have the money, but we have the actual votes. And we will use that vote to save this nation from itself,” Hussein said. “Families and children are being wiped out with our tax dollars,” he added. “What we are witnessing today is the tragedy upon tragedy.”
From behind a lectern that read “Abandon Biden, ceasefire now”, leaders from Michigan, Minnesota, Arizona, Wisconsin, Florida, Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania issued similar warnings that the president could not afford to lose the support of the Arab-American community in states critical to his chances for re-election.
A recent poll showed Biden’s support among Arab Americans has plunged from a comfortable majority in 2020 to 17%.
About 3.45 million Americans identify as Muslim, or 1.1% of the country’s population, and the demographic tends to lean Democratic, according to Pew Research Center. Like Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania are also home to significant Arab-American populations and critical to Biden’s re-election mathematics.
“The anger in our community is beyond belief,” Hussein, who is Muslim, told the Associated Press. “One of the things that made us even more angry is the fact that most of us actually voted for President Biden. I even had one incident where a religious leader asked me: ‘How do I get my 2020 ballot so I can destroy it?’”
Against a backdrop of pro-Palestinian protest in the US, Muslim leaders gathered in Dearborn said Biden or the likely Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, were not their only choices next year, and they could choose to sit out the election.
So they'll help to elect Trump, who's even more pro-Israel? Great idea! /s
Trump is pro Israel? Please. He is just anti-Muslim to higher degree than antisemite.
They named one of the illegal West Bank settlements after Trump. He’s probably a Zionist because he’s antisemitic. It wouldn’t be the first time a politician supported Israel because they wanted their country’s Jewish population to move there.
He's "Whatever gets me elected, delays prosecution, and helps my brand make money"
That could be pro marmalade flavored monkeys if that's what it takes. In this case, his brand of extremism works, so that's the bet.
But he (and the GOP as a whole) also has deep hate for people of color and the Muslim population in particular. Doing anything that helps that party continue controlling our lives of face eating leopard level stupid.
He is pro Israel as an evangelical construct, which is what the likud party is.
He moved the embassy to Jerusalem*
Jerusalem, which is contested
On the one hand, their pro-Palestinian politics are morally valid and increasingly popular as the world watches horrifying human rights violations in Gaza- I agree with them, it's important to put pressure on the Democrats to get on the right side of this issue.
On the other hand, I honestly think we are one GOP sweep victory away from an end to democracy in the USA- and my take on that is that the establishment-Dems probably think a 4-year stint of being punished by Republicans will teach those uppity leftists and minorities to toe the line better and in the interim they're pretty sure they'll be fiiine.
The reason I lose sleep over this sort of thing is I believe that once political power becomes decoupled from the consent of the governed, the rights and protections that arise in the constitution will become instead favors granted by an unaccountable power, contingent on whether or not they find you supplicant enough. Also we shouldn't count on being able to vote our way out of a situation where the rules prevent voting from making a difference- should it come to that, it's dark days friends
I would argue it is actually the opposite.
The establishment understands how massively fucked we are and are trying to do whatever it takes to survive.
The progressive branch are openly attacking the President and inadvertently strengthening third parties (aka "spoilers"). This has largely been the case since 2016 (once there was a progressive/"progressive" candidate who actually stood a snowball's chance).
I have a hard time telling muslims they are wrong for being angry at Biden. Hell, I am angry at Biden. But it isn't like it will accomplish anything. Not voting for Biden is effectively voting for trump. And trump is openly hateful of Muslims.
Maybe its just the East Asian mentality. But we long ago learned that you more or less have to support the lesser evil, even if they are actively shitting on you and attacking you. Because the alternative will do so much worse.
Is this an East Asian mentality? It would explain a bit about about my beliefs (although I suppose technically I was raised with a South Asian ethos)
Being a bit too pessimistic is not good for the human brain.
What ever happens we humans are good at adapting.
Some of us on the far left see the blues/reds as the same, corrupt and paid for. RFK Jr. is also pro-war, so he is in the same bracket, to a degree.
End of democracy talk has been said for decades, nothing new. Looking at what both parties, we know we live in an oligarchy already.
I would still suggest to watch and learn from people out of your bubble so as to have a more general view of what people think.
What a bunch of utter morons. "Let's abandon the guy who isn't doing as much for us as we would like and instead vote for a guy who will actively oppress us!"
Honestly this is one of the few times I get it. You don't want to vote for the guy that supplying the arms that are killing your people, even if he's the better pick.
Like if it was Jews and they had the choice between someone pro holocaust and someone VERY pro holocaust, then I can very much sympathise why they wouldn't want to vote for either.
They don't have to vote for Trump. They could just deny Biden the votes you think he's entitled to by staying home.
"Not Trump" is a message that does not work across all voters. If that's all we're running on, let's hope we don't need those votes.
It ought to work for Muslims that haven't lived under a rock the last 7 years
And yet here we are.
sure as shit works for most LGBTQIA+!
Incorrect, they can vote for 3rd parties. Americans people need to know a 3rd party exists instead of money grabbing politicians who spend billions on ads.
3rd party, in america, is mathematically and sociologically a waste of a vote
you have FPTP; you do not have STV or RCV etc
Third parties exist at the local and, arguably, state level. And there are strong reasons to get a third party in office. I have a lot of issues with him, but Sanders was a third party (who would run as a Democrat to ensure he had no competition...) and undeniably influenced the current rise of progressive Democrats in government.
But once you get to the presidential election? A third party vote just means you are voting against your own interests. Because if you are left leaning and vote for a Green party candidate? That is a net vote for the republican. Same if you are a right wing fascist and vote for a libertarian.
At the end of the day: vote your heart in local and state elections. Same with Primaries. But when it comes time for the presidential election? Swallow your pride, lay back, think of England (and how much they fucked themselves over), and vote for your own self interests even if you hate the wannabe cop with an outright cop VP.
When will people learn that Third Parties don’t work in this country with the electoral college, plus all it’ll do in guarantee Trumps victory.
Cutting off your nose to spite your face.
Have fun with a Trump presidency again. The Muslim ban might end up permanent. Sometimes you have to pick the guy not actively trying to destroy the US even if it's not exactly the person you want. Put up a better candidate.
Given that Trump is super fucking racist and will try to gut any checks on his power, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Muslim ban becomes a Muslim concentration camp thing.
The dude has stated that he is going to use the state to go after his political foes. And called leftists “vermin”. Seriously unhinged bullshit.
This all or nothing mentality never works out well for Palestine, nor will it for its American supporters.
The unfortunate reality is that there are only two choices, and one of those is clearly better even if unacceptable. When it comes to minimizing how many people are killed, there's a very clear answer on who to pick.
They dont realize they’d be on the other side of it- it’s always “yeah but he’s not about me” with this idiots.
They said "they not only have the money"
I.e. They're rich fucks and not worth reporting on.
Most people don't like genocide, especially when it's happening to their families.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Muslim community leaders gathered on Saturday in Dearborn, Michigan, home to the largest concentration of Arab Americans in the US, to protest against Joe Biden’s refusal to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, reiterating that the president’s stance could affect his support in crucial swing states next year.
Jaylani Hussein, director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said that Biden’s unwillingness to call for a ceasefire had damaged his relationship with the American-Muslim community beyond repair.
From behind a lectern that read “Abandon Biden, ceasefire now”, leaders from Michigan, Minnesota, Arizona, Wisconsin, Florida, Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania issued similar warnings that the president could not afford to lose the support of the Arab-American community in states critical to his chances for re-election.
In Arizona, where Biden won by about 10,500 votes, there are more than 25,000 Muslim voters according to the US Immigration Policy Center at the University of California San Diego, said Phoenix pharmacist Hazim Nasaredden.
While the Biden administration has resisted pressure to call for a permanent halt in fighting, and continues significant weapons transfers to Israel, senior officials are going further in expressing their discomfort with the high level of civilian casualties.
Against a backdrop of pro-Palestinian protest in the US, Muslim leaders gathered in Dearborn said Biden or the likely Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, were not their only choices next year, and they could choose to sit out the election.
The original article contains 996 words, the summary contains 239 words. Saved 76%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!
And the Republicans are ROTFLMAO'ing all the way to their "Red Caesar" ( go search that ) dictatorship.
They will have an extremely poor liklihood of healthy, let-alone happy, lives, after the Christofascist White Supremacist wins his GEOTUS crowning.
shruggeth
A Darwin Award they are earning, then.
( and I'm saying that as a person who has stated openly that what Israel is doing to the Palestinians is the SAME as what Russia has been doing to Ukrainians.
Remember Mariupol?
Was it Kherson or Kharkiv that they used their evil "heavy flame-thrower" on, back near the beginning? )
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