Vote in USA 2004

[Musab]

It get's interesting when you can cast a vote yourself....

http://www.globalvote2004.org

A site which gives non-Americans the chance to have their say in the upcoming American election.

[br ash]

Media Roundup: Arab and Muslim Americans Abandon Bush
News Feature, Jalal Ghazi,
Mosaic, LinkTV, Oct 29, 2004

Less than a week before the presidential election, the stiffening opposition of Arab and Muslim Americans to President George Bush has become the focus of reports in the Arab media worldwide.

A reporter from Abu Dhabi television reports that the Islamic Center in the heart of Washington, DC is no longer just a center for prayers and worship, it has become a meeting place to talk about politics. One can overhear conversations about promises made by both presidential candidates, the neglect of Arab and Muslim Americans, and which candidate is more receptive to their aspirations

Bush visited the Center in December 2001 to honor Muslims on Eide al Feter, one of the two major Islamic holidays. The visit was the second one for Bush. The first one was in the wake of the hate crimes that followed the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington. Al Jazeera TV then showed the image of Bush, focusing at one point on his feet to show that he had taken his shoes off as a sign of respect. He toured the center and shook hands with several Muslim leaders, who later spoke positively about the visit.

This time around, the Muslim community appears to have given up on the president, an Abu Dhabi reporter says. "Arabs and Muslims in America do not expect their situation to change overnight whether Bush leaves the White House or not, but many of them blame the Bush administration for the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, and the state of panic which has loomed over the country since the war in Iraq."

Another worshiper tells Abu Dhabi television: "Most Arabs and Muslims say that Kerry is the closest guy to them. I do not like either one of them, but I can say that may be Kerry is little better then Bush." A man with Algerian accent agrees, "Kerry is better because he cares about peace and he doesn't want the troubles of war."

Al Alam television aired news reports with a similar slant: "This time, the Arab Americans who voted for Bush in 2002, have decided to support the Democratic candidate because he is the lesser of two evils."

The Al Alam reporter continued: "On the domestic level, Bush's promises to improve the economic conditions were not realized. On the international level, the controversial war in Iraq and the unconditional support of Israel continue to stir the emotions of Arabs and Muslims living in the land of Uncle Sam."

Sami Al Ajami, a Lebanese American who owns a popular restaurant in Dearborn Michigan and has lived there for 35 years, told Al Alam, "To be honest with you, I have been a Republican for the past 35 years, but this time I will not vote for Bush because his policies do not address the economic problems in the country. Before focusing on foreign policies, we have to resolve the many economic problems that concern people in the U.S."

Reema Hashimi, a Lebanese American, says she voted for Bush in 2002 but now regrets it. "The Bush administration has passed a lot of anti-Arab laws; I think that it is carrying out racists policies against Arabs, so I will vote for Kerry."

Arab and Muslim Americans who watch Arab American Institute president James Zogby's "Viewpoint" show on Abu Dhabi TV are familiar with this kind of criticism. The one-hour weekly show that airs in English with Arabic subtitles has given Zogby a platform to talk to Arab and Muslim Americans. Zoghbi recently wrote a paper, "Why I Will Vote for Kerry," which says "Arab Americans, American Muslims and immigrant Arabs and Muslims have paid dearly" for the Bush administration's erosion of Constitutional rights.

According to Zogby International, a polling firm, "Arab Americans in the four battleground states represent a likely voter turnout of more than 510,000 actual voters (235,000 in Michigan; 120,000 in Florida; 85,000 in Ohio and 75,000 in Pennsylvania)." The Zogby poll indicates that about 68 percent of Muslim Americans support Kerry, 17 percent support Bush and 9 percent support the Lebanese American independent candidate, Ralph Nader.

In 2000 elections Arab Americans voted 58 percent for Bush. At the time it was common for Arabs to put "Vote for Bush" stickers on their cars. Alhayat newspaper concludes that this time around Arabs could could help Kerry avoid "AL Gore's curse."

Asharq Al Awsat newspaper, based in London, points out that the Republican Party is trying hard to win the hearts of Jewish American voters, especially in the battleground states of Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio, after losing hope in many Arab and Muslim voters.

The article claims that Jewish Americans are divided on Bush. Some like his tough policy toward Iraq, Israel's former enemy, and would like to see a similar policy toward to Iran, but many American Jews do not.

It seems that Arab and Muslim Americans have come to realize that they must form a solid voting block in order to gain the attention of the next American president. Ironically, the policies of Attorney General John Ashcroft, which have affected Arab and Muslim Americans the most, are the motivating force behind the unprecedented level of political activism among Arab and Muslim Americans


Salaam


ash

[TheBatman]

"Protest vote" encouraged in qualified endorsement
A leading Muslim American coalition has issued a qualified endorsement of Senator John Kerry for the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election. In doing so, the coalition cited the Bush Administration's disregard for civil liberties in the ever-expanding "war on terror," and the administration's failed domestic and foreign policies. While recognizing differences of opinion with Sen. Kerry's position on some domestic and foreign policy issues, the group stated their willingness to "work with him" on these issues during his administration.
There are an estimated 7 million Muslims in the United States. Muslims are a potential swing-voting bloc in key battleground states such as Florida, Michigan, and Ohio.

The endorsement was issued by the American Muslim Taskforce on Civil Rights and Elections (AMT-PAC), an umbrella organization representing the following U.S.

[TheBatman]

Muslim Voters Favor Kerry, Nader over Bush
From Huda,
Your Guide to Islam.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

Poll also reveals domestic & international issues of concern to Muslim voters
A nationwide poll conducted in June 2004 found that John Kerry and Ralph Nader are the favored presidential candidates among American Muslim voters.
The prominent Islamic civil rights and advocacy group, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) reported that 54 percent of eligible Muslim voters said they would vote for Kerry, while 26 percent favored Nader. A sizable 14 percent of Muslim voters said they are still undecided. (Fifty-five percent of the respondents said they voted for President Bush in the 2000 election.)

According to CAIR's survey of 1161 individuals taken this month, 34 percent of respondents said the Democratic Party best represents American Muslim interests, closely followed by the Green Party at 24 percent. Almost one-quarter (22 percent) of the respondents said no party reflected their views.

On other issues, only 11 percent of respondents said they are better off now than they were four years ago.

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Forty-five percent said they experienced some form of anti-Muslim discrimination or bias in the past year and 87 percent felt less secure since the invasion of Iraq. However, 81 percent said they feel free to practice their faith in America.
When asked to list the most important domestic issue they will use to determine a presidential choice, almost 40 percent of respondents cited civil rights, followed by the economy at 25 percent. More than 90 percent said American policy in the Middle East is the most important international issue.

Muslims from 43 states responded to the survey, with the most responses coming from California (17 percent), Texas (8 percent), Virginia (8 percent), New York (4 percent), Florida (4 percent), Illinois (7 percent), Michigan (5 percent), Ohio (5 percent), Maryland (5 percent), and New Jersey (4 percent).

The two largest ethnic groups listed in the survey were South Asian (37 percent) and those from an Arabic-speaking background (28 percent). Thirty-five percent of respondents said they visit a mosque once a week, while a similar number go to mosques more frequently. Six percent said they do not go to a mosque at all. Almost all of the respondents said they are registered to vote or plan to vote in November.

(All figures are based on responses provided by eligible Muslim voters. Surveys were faxed and e-mailed to Muslim individuals and organizations nationwide.)

"This survey shows that presidential candidates will have to address issues of importance to Muslims if they wish to garner and maintain support in the Islamic community," said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad. Awad added that Muslims may be swing voters in politically-important states such as Michigan, Ohio and Florida.

[IbnKhuldoon]

Come on guys, if your gonna copy and paste articles, surely you can just give us the links?