American Muslim leaders rally community to vote as their convention closes

• Originally published by The Associated Press on 9/6/2004 [here ]
  

By RACHEL ZOLL

ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) -- American Muslim leaders ended their largest annual meeting with a rousing plea to thousands of community members that they vote in the presidential election.

Muslims urgently want to register their political presence in this country as a step toward ending what many believe are excesses in the war on terror.

"We have to demand justice," said Mahdi Bray, head of the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation, as the convention wound down Sunday night. "We have to stand up to this government and say, `What you're doing is wrong.'"

The American Muslim Taskforce, an umbrella group for top U.S. Muslim organizations, met behind closed doors separately from the weekend conference, deliberating whether to make an endorsement in the race.

Both Democrats and Republicans are seeking their support.

American Muslims hold special importance this election year because they have strong communities in battleground states such as Michigan, Ohio and Florida. Also, immigrant Muslims tend to be educated professionals -- an attractive demographic for both parties.

Despite bitter feelings over how President Bush has conducted the war on terror, Muslim leaders said an endorsement for his challenger, Democratic Sen. John Kerry, was not guaranteed. Independent Ralph Nader traveled here Saturday and made an aggressive pitch for their backing.

A decision is expected by next month.

In 2000, leaders of major Muslim organizations made their first endorsement in a presidential race, choosing Bush over Democrat Al Gore. The Texas governor had indicated he was sympathetic to their concerns about the use of secret evidence in immigration hearings.

However, many rank-and-file Muslims -- especially U.S.-born blacks, who vote overwhelmingly Democratic -- opposed that 2000 decision. After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and the anti-terror policies that followed, the Muslim leaders who had organized the Bush endorsement said openly they had made a mistake.

Still, Bush did not give up on the Muslim vote.

About a year ago, the Bush administration had increased contacts with Muslim leaders, inviting them for briefings with the Department of Justice and the White House faith-based office, among other gestures, according to Salam al-Marayati, head of the Muslim Public Affairs Council.

But Bush appears to have little chance of winning the leaders' endorsement, given widespread anger over terror prevention laws the president insists are critical to national security.

Nader, in an interview, said he alone was addressing Muslim issues.

"We are the only ones who are speaking up on Israel, the Palestinians, civil liberties and malicious prosecution," he said. But many Muslim leaders have argued that voting for Nader would just end up helping Bush.

Regarding Kerry, some Muslim leaders say his campaign has missed opportunities to capitalize on Muslim resentment of the president.

At the convention this weekend, organized by the nonpartisan Islamic Society of North America, several speakers said Kerry had become too timid on civil rights issues. They said his pledge on repealing parts of the USA Patriot Act, which gave the government broad new powers to monitor citizens, did not go far enough.

"Please improve your position," said Agha Saeed, head of the task force, in a plea to Kerry at the convention's closing rally. "Only then can we talk to you."

Others complained that high-level Kerry staff have been slow to reach out to Muslim leaders. However, Aslam Abdullah, editor of Minaret magazine, who is helping organize Muslim support for Kerry, said those leaders were thinking too narrowly.

"It is not whether Bush meets with Muslims or whether Kerry meets with Muslims," he said in a phone interview. "The question is who is more capable of steering the country out of the trouble it is in?"

Whatever the task force decision, it is not clear that they can deliver the Muslim vote. They have sponsored voter registration drives and "town hall" meetings about the election nationwide, but many American Muslims are not affiliated with national Muslim organizations and may not be influenced by an endorsement.