By Kerry Eleveld, Jun 29, 2016
Even though Donald Trump is “refining” his Muslim ban to cast a broader net, it doesn’t mean Muslim Americans are unclear about Trump’s effort to stigmatize them and their religion. Trump’s continued emphasis on terrorism and immigrants from “terrorist nations” (yet to be defined by team Trump) is sparking mobilization efforts in Muslim American communities across the country, reports Lauren Fox.
Friday prayer service was winding down at a mosque in northern Virginia when the group’s president made his way to the front of the room and made an announcement he typically reserves for the final weeks before Election Day.
“The beauty of this country is that we have a voice,” Ehsan Islam began as he looked out onto a room so crowded for Jummah that some of the men were on a tarp outside. “We live in a state that is a swing state, that is a very important state, and all the candidates are going to be fighting over this.”
“We can decide the outcome,” he told congregants at the Dar Alnoor Islamic Community Center in suburban Washington, D.C.
Muslim Americans make up roughly 1 percent of the U.S. population, according to Pew Research, but they identify with the Democratic Party at rates of about 70 percent. And just like in the Latino community, groups such as the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations, Islamic Circle of North America, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and the Arab American Institute are pushing voter registration efforts. In some cases, they are sending field workers to states like Michigan, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. So a heavy voter turnout among Muslim Americans could help tip the scales in some key states.
Article Courtesy: The Daily Kos
