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Elections 2002 AMPCC supports incumbent Pete Stark against Syed Mahmood Putsata Reang, Mercury News - November 2, 2002 The American Muslim Political Coordination Council, which includes two of the most influential Muslim organizations in the nation, announced Thursday ( Oct. 31, 2002) its endorsement of incumbent Rep. Fortney ''Pete'' Stark, D-Fremont, who is running for his 16th term to represent the 13th Congressional District. ''He has been democratically elected already in our community,'' said Agha Saeed, national chairman of the American Muslim Alliance. The endorsement is a tenuous stance for a community that wants to support a candidate they say speaks for them while also show solidarity with Muslim political candidates, especially in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Mahmood already faced an uphill battle against a longtime incumbent in a solidly Democratic district, which includes Sunnyvale, Fremont, Hayward, Castro Valley, Newark, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, Union City, Alviso, Milpitas and parts of Oakland and San Jose. But the campaign garnered attention when in August Mahmood received four racist telephone messages. His political signs were also defaced. Police have not yet made arrests in the case. Candidate's reaction Mahmood appeared unfazed by the Muslim group's support for Stark. He minimized the endorsement even though he acknowledged he expected the group's support. Mahmood predicted he will receive 80 percent to 85 percent of the Muslim votes in the district, and he added Muslims are not a major voting bloc in the community. ''I don't think that was very crucial for me,'' Mahmood said of the endorsement. ''I don't think they have any influence in the community.'' The American Muslim Political Coordination Council is made up of four national Muslim groups, including two well-reputed organizations, the American Muslim Alliance, which has 98 chapters in 46 states, and the Council on American Islamic Relations, one of the country's biggest human and civil rights groups. Mahmood, a local businessman from Union City who has been politically active locally and nationally, said he was surprised to learn that Saeed was behind the Stark endorsement. The council endorsed Mahmood in the primary elections, but that's because the group was choosing the better of two Republican candidates, Saeed said. The group insists it supports candidates based on issues, not party line. ''There comes a moment in the life of a community when it is confronted with a moral challenge to transcend its narrow ethnic and sectarian concerns'' to vote responsibly, Saeed said. 'Difficult decision' Omar Ahmed, president of CAIR, said the decision to back Stark ''is really showing the Muslim community is in a maturity state right now. They're supporting based on issues rather than personalities,'' Ahmed said. He added that not endorsing a fellow Muslim was a ''difficult decision, but I think it was the right decision.'' Mahmood blames Saeed's about-face on internal politics and personality clashes but would not be specific. Mahmood, who moved to the Bay Area from Pakistan more than 30 years ago, is making a second bid for elected office after an unsuccessful Assembly campaign in 2000. A moderate Republican, Mahmood also believes war is not a path to peace in the Middle East. He decided to run for office because of the changes he's seen in the district, including economic and demographic shifts. ''Someone like me can be more productive and more effective to handle problems of this constituency,'' Mahmood said. The coalition chose Stark over Mahmood, former president of United Muslims of America, largely because of Stark's accessibility and his solid record on advocating for civil rights, Saeed said. The three other candidates are Reform Party candidate John J. Bambey, American Independent Party candidate Don J. Grundmann, and Libertarian candidate Mark W. Stroberg. Stark entered Congress in 1972 protesting American involvement in the Vietnam War. At the time, he hung a peace symbol on the brick wall outside of the bank he founded. Most recently, he has been an outspoken adversary against the Bush administration's push for war with Iraq, calling the plans ''a capricious adventure into world domination.'' Seniority yields clout Stark wields substantial influence in Congress as chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee, which includes decisions about Medicare, Social Security, taxes and public assistance. Stark raised more than $400,000 during the campaign, compared with Mahmood's $48,000. He said another term would give him a chance to finish the work he has started to reform health care, education and taxes. ''I've got a lot to do,'' Stark said. ''So far, the Republicans haven't been letting us do it.'' |