Muslim American leaders from eight battleground states on Saturday vowed to mobilize their communities against President Joe Biden’s reelection over his support of Israel’s war in Gaza. The states are among a handful that allowed Biden to win the 2020 election. Opposition from their sizeable Muslim and Arab American communities could complicate the president’s path to Electoral College victory next year. The so-called #AbandonBiden campaign began when Minnesota Muslim Americans demanded Biden call for a ceasefire by Oct. 31, and has spread to Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Georgia and Florida. The growing Muslim American population is roughly 3.45 million people, according to the Pew Research Center. In 2020, roughly 59 percent of Arab Americans supported Biden, according to the Arab American Institute, but recent polling suggests this support has continued to deteriorate. The leaders said Saturday they are not voting for Donald Trump next year, “We’re not supporting Trump, We’re not going to make the same mistake of thinking about President Biden the way we thought. We don’t have two options. We have many options, and we’re going to exercise that,” said Jaylani Hussein, a member of the coalition. He’s also the executive director of CAIR-MINNESOTA.
Quick Read
- Withdrawal of Support: Muslim community leaders from several swing states announced their withdrawal of support for President Joe Biden, citing his failure to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
- Impact on 2024 Election: Michigan Democrats have warned that Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict could significantly impact his support in the Arab American community, potentially influencing the 2024 presidential election results.
- Conference in Dearborn, Michigan: The conference, held in Dearborn with the largest Arab American population in the U.S., included leaders from Michigan, Minnesota, Arizona, Wisconsin, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, and Pennsylvania.
- Casualties in the Israel-Hamas War: More than 15,200 Palestinians, mostly women and minors, have been killed in the war, along with approximately 1,200 Israelis, primarily during the Hamas attack on October 7.
- Biden’s Relationship with American Muslims: Biden’s reluctance to call for a ceasefire is seen as causing irreparable damage to his relationship with the American Muslim community.
- Community Anger and Disappointment: The community’s frustration is intensified by the fact that many supported Biden in the 2020 election.
- White House Response: The Biden administration has reportedly advocated for humanitarian pauses in the conflict and emphasizes Biden’s commitment to fighting antisemitism and supporting Israel’s right to self-defense.
- Significance of Muslim American Voters: Approximately 3.45 million Americans identify as Muslim, leaning predominantly Democratic. Their support was crucial in swing states for Biden’s 2020 victory.
- Statement of Power and Options: The leaders emphasized the Muslim community’s power in American politics, highlighting their influence through votes and financial contributions.
- Rejection of Trump’s Candidacy: Despite their condemnation of Biden, the leaders clarified that this does not indicate support for Donald Trump, who is leading in the Republican primary. They emphasized exploring multiple political options.
The Associated Press has the story:
Swing-state Muslim Leaders launch campaign to ‘Abandon Biden’ in 2024
Muslim community leaders from several swing states pledged to withdraw support for U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday at a conference in suburban Detroit, citing his refusal to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Democrats in Michigan have warned the White House that Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war could cost him enough support within the Arab American community to sway the outcome of the 2024 presidential election.
Michigan Community Updatse/Facebook.
Leaders from Michigan, Minnesota, Arizona, Wisconsin, Florida, Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania gathered behind a lectern that read “Abandon Biden, ceasefire now” in Dearborn, Michigan, the city with the largest concentration of Arab Americans in the United States.
More than 15,200 Palestinians — roughly two-thirds of them women and minors, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza — have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war. Some 1,200 Israelis have been killed, mostly during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war.
Michigan Community Updatse/Facebook.
Biden’s unwillingness to call for a ceasefire has damaged his relationship with the American Muslim community beyond repair, according to Minneapolis-based Jaylani Hussein, who helped organize the conference.
“Families and children are being wiped out with our tax dollars,” Hussein said. “What we are witnessing today is the tragedy upon tragedy.”
Hussein, who is Muslim, told The Associated Press: “The anger in our community is beyond belief. 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?” he said.
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates previously said the Biden administration has pushed for humanitarian pauses in the fighting to get humanitarian aid into Gaza, adding that “fighting against the poison of antisemitism and standing up for Israel’s sovereign right to defend itself have always been core values for President Biden.”
Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania were critical components of the “blue wall” of states that Biden returned to the Democratic column, helping him win the White House in 2020. 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.
But leaders said Saturday that the community’s support for Biden has vanished as more Palestinian men, women and children are killed in Gaza.
“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 at the conference.
The Muslim community leaders’ condemnation of Biden does not indicate support for former President Donald Trump, the clear front-runner in the Republican primary, Hussein clarified.
“We don’t have two options. We have many options. And we’re going to exercise that,” he said.
