American Muslims May Decide Who Becomes President

Surveys have shown that Muslim voters are religiously diverse, well integrated in American society, politically active, and support candidates of any party who address their concerns.

(WASHINGTON DC) - In this close election, it is a small voting bloc that will decide the outcome. On November 6, American Muslims are in a position to determine which presidential candidate will win in key swing states such as Ohio, Virginia and Florida.

A recent survey of registered Muslim voters, conducted by an independent research firm for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), indicates that some 25 percent of Muslim voters are still undecided about who to vote for in the presidential election and are therefore still open to appeals from the candidates.

CAIR’s survey also shows that American Muslims are engaged in the political process, with more than 90 percent of Muslim voters saying they will go to the polls on election day. Of those polled, 68 percent said they will vote to re-elect President Obama and seven percent said they will vote for Mitt Romney.

Like many other Americans, the top five issues of importance to American Muslim voters are jobs and the economy, education, health care policy, Medicare and Social Security, and civil rights.

The percentage of those who said they are closer to the Democratic Party grew from 49 percent in a similar poll taken in 2008 to 66 percent today. Almost half of respondents said that the Democratic Party was friendly towards Muslims.

Muslim voters are very concerned about the rising level of Islamophobia within American society and with the promotion and exploitation of Islamophobia within the Republican Party. More than half of CAIR survey respondents say that the Republican Party is unfriendly toward Muslims.

As was evident from the third presidential debate, Mitt Romney's hostile view of the Muslim and Arab world makes American Muslims voters anxious about a possible repeat of George W. Bush’s counterproductive foreign policies. Romney’s ideological approach to foreign policy does not inspire confidence in the establishment of more productive relations with the Muslim world.

Because of their knowledge and understanding of international issues, American Muslims also care about foreign policies such as democracy in the Muslim world and peace and justice for the Palestinians.

Sixty-eight percent of respondents to CAIR’s survey say the U.S. should provide support to those fighting for freedom in Syria and 76 percent say the U.S. and NATO made the right decision by intervening in the Libyan revolution.

The majority of American Muslims will likely vote for President Obama, but not as enthusiastically as they did in 2008. They are clearly not happy with the continued erosion of Muslim civil liberties, the most egregious example of which was the widespread spying on Muslim students, shopkeepers, schools, and mosques by the New York Police Department in cooperation with the CIA.

There is relief that the unjustified war on Iraq was ended by President Obama, but also concern that the escalation of military action in Afghanistan caused more harm than benefit. And American Muslims are not alone in opposing the drone attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan that have claimed so many innocent civilian lives.

A number of surveys have shown that Muslim voters are religiously diverse, well integrated in American society, politically active, and support candidates of any party who address their concerns.

In the 2000 election, Muslims voted overwhelmingly for George W. Bush, in part because of his public stand against the use of secret evidence in the nation's courts. In 2004, Muslims concerned about the erosion of civil rights in the post-9/11 era voted for Sen. John Kerry. In 2008, almost 90 percent of American Muslim voters picked Barack Obama.

It is this willingness to swing between parties that makes Muslim voters so important in close elections.

In the end, American Muslim voters will look at the overall picture of the future under either one of the major candidates and will then they make a decision about who to vote for. But the lack of engagement with American Muslims by the candidates may very well cost one of them the presidency.

The fact that more than 90 percent of registered Muslim voters intend to go to the polls on November 6 clearly shows that Muslims are among the most politically-engaged of all Americans.

[Nihad Awad is national executive director of the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil liberties organization. He may be contacted at: nawad@cair.com]

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Rehmat November 5, 2012 6:06 pm (Pacific time)

American Muslims cannot decide who should be the next president - as all with the exception of Rocky are pro-Israel - one way or the other. Obama has already been called the "First Jewish President of United State". http://rehmat1.com/2011/04/06/obama-jewish-president-messiah-or-g-d/

Eddie November 5, 2012 1:20 pm (Pacific time)

I really wish the paid agents who leave comments would stop pretending they have a concern from woman's rights in muslim countries. If the rest of their comment is Islamphobic, then adding the bit about the women is unconvincing. Unless of course your purpose is to whip up hatred amongst readers towards muslim countries in general, using the so called suffering of women as a leverage. Anway, it's interesting to note that the paid agents who turn up here, and at other alterntive news sites, seem to have to have three main agendas. One, to spew vile hatred against muslims. Two, to tell you to love Israel, and three to yearn for war against muslim countries. Hmmn, now I wonder who sends those agents.

Anonymous November 4, 2012 9:34 am (Pacific time)

It's really quite unsupportable to advance the notion that Islamic voters impact the American electorate in a meaningful way. As time unfolds more info about the war crimes in Libya, against Americans will be getting out. Regardless of how you feel about America, and our military activities overseas, the majority of voters will violently disagree with anyone who suggests that we are the belligerents. For example the Obama regime's official explanation for recent American deaths is a coverup, it was inadequate security coupled with incompetence, and maybe somethng even more horrific. This administration didn’t want to “offend the sensibilities” of the new radical Islamic regime which American and British arms had so recently helped install in Libya. The official explanation for why Obama administration officials watched the attack unfold for seven hours, refusing repeated requests to send the air support and relief forces that sat less than two hours away in Italy? Silence. An open discussion of these issues, of course, would lead to difficult questions about the wisdom of underwriting and celebrating the so-called Arab Spring revolts in the first place. While the removal of tyrants can be laudable, the results show a disturbing pattern of merely installing new tyrannies – theocracies of medieval mullahs who immediately start savaging the rights of women (including the basic right to education) and who are openly hostile to American interests. When Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney promptly criticized the security failures in Benghazi, the White House and its lapdog media jumped all over him for another “gaffe,” for speaking out too promptly and too strongly. Prompt and strong action from the White House on Sept. 11 might have saved American lives, as well as America’s reputation as a nation not to be messed with. Weakness and dithering and flying to Las Vegas the next day for celebrity fund-raising parties are somehow better?

Anonymous November 4, 2012 8:33 am (Pacific time)

By Raid M: "The few hundred Muslim voters in Florida ended giving Bush the razor sharp margin of victory." That is delusional. So in 2004 when Bush beat Kerry by nearly 500,000 votes in Florida, was thet the Amish who provided that winning margin? Or maybe the Florida panhandle voter's who fell for Gore's concession in 2000 made sure they didn't get suckered again and made sure they voted in 2004?

Anonymous November 3, 2012 6:25 pm (Pacific time)

How can I be a racist? Islam is a religion not a race

Editor: Oh I see then Nazi's aren't racists because they hate Jews and Jews are a religion not a race? Utter nonsense . Racism is the singling out of a culture or society and cultivating a hatred toward them that removes their security and is in fact tormenting and dangerous. Read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights from 1948 and them compare the behavior of Israel to what international law allows, then you will know more.

Jim November 3, 2012 4:52 pm (Pacific time)

How ironic that muslim voters get to decide which of the two zionist puppets gets to be the next president. I'm sure someone in Tel Aviv is laughing.

Raid Mohammad November 3, 2012 3:50 pm (Pacific time)

Awad is diabolic. Prior to election 2000, Awad, Alarian and the likes received orders from AlSaud to support Bush. Awad and the like successfully proliferated the lie from mosques pulpits that not only Lieberman was a jew, they claimed that Gore himself was also a Jew. The few hundred Muslim voters in Florida ended giving Bush the razor sharp margin of victory.

Anonymous November 3, 2012 1:25 pm (Pacific time)

whether rombama or obamney, nothing will change. They practically admit it themselves. The agenda of the rothchild bankers will continue. Chemtrails will continue, invading the middle east and africa will continue, zero interest rates for the bankers will continue, GMO will continue, phamra will continue, the indoctrination system they call an education system will continue, the borders being wide open will continue, arming alCIAda to kill Syrians, while our rights in America are being taken away because alCIAda might get us will continue, the cover up of 911 will continue, the lies about the gulf of mexico and fuckishima will continue..need I go on? My suggestion is to vote third party or not at all...They need a message sent to them that we are not buying this dog and pony show anymore, and are tired of having two loser, corporate owned puppets as our choice.

Anonymous November 3, 2012 9:51 am (Pacific time)

All voters have an impact on election outcomes, but in terms of state and national elections, the Muslim voting bloc has not attained a mathematical ratio to have serious outcome influences. In my opinion, if/as their numbers increase, they will most likely offset certain voting directions by various women's organizations and homosexual voters. The Islamic faith in it's final level does not favor these above-referenced groups. This is now being seen in various european voting results. Though the current terrorist crimes in Libya have been suppressed by most of the media so far, it will be an issue that the American Muslim community will have to address, honestly. The brewing violence and crimes against Americans, and others around the world, will continue to be important issues, and national candidates will, as usual, see what the American voter is thinking/feeling about this violence an adjust their platforms accordingly. Regardless of what CAIR purports, it is in error as per it's national electoral influence on any significant level, at this time.

Anonymous November 3, 2012 1:41 am (Pacific time)

First at all you can't believe anything CAIR is saying. CAIR is the product of a Hamas supported network here in the US.

Editor: You need to stop sniffing glue. Hamas is an elected government facing apartheid Israel, a war crime racist government that has lost all credibility due to its endless racism, desire to wipe all Palestinians from the map, and for its general dishonesty.

There final goal is to have Sharia Law here in Americ and take over the Government.

Editor: That is ridiculous, learn who the Muslims are, learn who things what. The friends of the US and Israel are called Wahhabi and Salafist and they are the ones who want Sharia law and your Israel is friends with them, you make no sense.

They are terrorists hiding behind an Organisation. Omaha is in love with them because he is just out to destroy this great Nation. Everything CAIR tells you is a lie. They intimidate and harass Muslims who don't believe their cause. They are radicals all the ways around.

Editor: You are a hasbara fish and a racist to no end.

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