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CAIR Bulletin – Nov. 14, 2006

CAIR/MAS report on midterm election efforts

WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 14, 2006 - The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today offered a report to the Muslim community on its efforts to promote political participation in the recent mid-term elections.

CAIR Chapters in 11 states participated in non-partisan election efforts. States with "get out the vote" and other activities included: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

Other highlights of CAIR's non-partisan election activities included:

* National: The creation of a database of some 400,000 American Muslim voters developed by matching state records of registered voters with an extensive list of Muslim first and last names.
* Arizona: 11,000 automated get out the vote calls were made.
* Florida: 10,000 voter guides were distributed at state mosques.
* Illinois: More than 1000 Muslims were registered to vote in the Third Congressional District. Two hundred Muslim volunteers also got out the vote on election day in the Chicago area by knocking on doors and making phone calls.
* Ohio: 1,200 get out the vote calls were made in the Columbus area.
* Texas: More than 3,500 Muslims in the Dallas area were contacted and urged to vote. More than 800 Muslims were contacted in the San Antonio area.
* California: 500 posters were distributed to mosques and businesses around the state urging Muslims to register to vote. CAIR-CA also distributed a congressional scorecard and held a voter education forum with candidates and representatives for and against propositions on the ballot.

Results of informal exit polls in Ohio and New Jersey indicate that more than 75 percent of Muslim voters in those states cast their ballots for Democrats in the mid-term election.

CAIR Poll: U.S. Muslim Voters Diverse, Integrated, Politically Active

According to a poll of registered American Muslim voters released by CAIR in October, 42 percent said they consider themselves members of the Democratic Party, 17 percent said they are Republican and 21 percent said they do not align themselves with any political party.

"The American Muslim community is growing in its ability to mobilize voters," said CAIR Legislative Director Corey Saylor. "We are excited by the opportunity to spend the next two years promoting American Muslim civic involvement and expanding our network of energetic volunteers built in the last two elections."

New Muslim-Liberal Coalition – Time Weekly

On November 11, 2006, Time Weekly reported, that the victory of Minnesota's Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to the Congress, shows the changing alliances that were set in motion by 9/11.

The Time story entitled, New Muslim-Liberal Coalition said:

 “Muslim Americans in Minnesota and throughout the nation have been forging a coalition with liberals on issues like those articulated by Congressman-elect Ellison — universal health insurance, tougher environmental regulation, opposition to the Patriot Act and an immediate end to the war in Iraq.

“Just a few years ago such a coalition would have been unthinkable. In 2000, Muslim American leaders overcame their reluctance to get involved in politics and, almost unanimously, endorsed George Bush for President. For the most part well educated and affluent, Muslim Americans went along with Bush's low-tax, limited government philosophy and enthusiastically embraced his conservative social agenda — especially Bush's pro-life and anti-gay rights stance.

“But since 9/11, all this has changed. Now secular liberals and culturally conservative Muslims are united in their intense opposition to Bush's policies at home and abroad, especially in the Middle East. And it should be no surprise that an African American like Ellison has emerged as a key broker in this coalition. About one-fourth to one-third of all American Muslims are African Americans. These are not "black Muslim" followers of Louis Farrakhan, but orthodox Sunni Muslims, accepted as such by their brethren from traditionally Muslim societies.

“This is not to say that there have not been, and continue to be, important rifts between African-American and immigrant-origin Muslims here. Not the least of these was the latter's support of Bush in 2000, which dramatically highlighted the social and economic gap between these two groups. But in the wake of the Patriot Act and perceived ethnic profiling, such strains have been overcome, though hardly eliminated. For immigrant-origin Muslims, African Americans' long-standing concern with civil rights suddenly has a relevance it previously lacked. And now, Muslims from places like Pakistan or Egypt, who might in the past have avoided politics, see the need for allies and guides through the unfamiliar American political landscape. No wonder the Rev. Jesse Jackson and other nationally prominent blacks journeyed to Minnesota to campaign with Keith Ellison.” …..

Democrats’ wins hinged on Muslims – Washington Times

The Washington Times reported on November 14, 2006 that Muslim voters, an electoral ally of President Bush as recently as 2000, played a key role in turning over control of the Senate to Democrats.   

 "Although the-get-out-the-vote campaign was nonpartisan, there is no doubt that our strategy to support a large Muslim voter turnout in areas with potentially close election races was a correct one," said Mahdi Bray, director of the Muslim American Society (MAS) Freedom Foundation. "We looked at the states with close races and matched them up with states that had a large concentration of Muslims."     

MAS also targeted races in Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania.     

In the U.S. Senate race in Virginia, more than 50,000 self-identified Muslim voters went to the polls, MAS said. A commanding majority of them, 92 percent, or 47,092, voted for the Democratic challenger, James H. Webb Jr. Mr. Webb won his race against Sen. George Allen, the Republican incumbent, by 9,326 votes.     

"If Muslims had decided to put their weight behind Allen, Republicans would have had at least a tie in the Senate," said Mukit Hossain of MAS, which conducted the survey.     

Muslim turnout of registered voters was exceptionally high in Virginia, at 86 percent, MAS reported. About 13 percent, or 7,822, of them were first-time voters.

Muslims also celebrated the victory of Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress. The Democrat won his race with 56 percent of the vote in Minnesota's traditionally liberal 5th District. Mr. Ellison, who describes himself as a moderate Muslim, won the backing of the National Jewish Democratic Council, even though his opponent, Republican Alan Fine, was Jewish.  

Muslim voters have not always turned against Republican candidates. A survey by the Center for American Islamic Relations found that 78 percent of Muslims supported Mr. Bush during his first presidential election in 2000.     

CAIR found that Muslims were drawn to Mr. Bush's conservative stances on social issues and their hope that he would overturn provisions of a 1996 law, backed by the Clinton administration, that allowed for "secret evidence" in the deportation of immigrants with suspected terrorist ties.     

Some estimates show that 60,000 Muslims voted for Mr. Bush in Florida. Those numbers nearly flipped in 2004, with most surveys showing Mr. Bush receiving about 7 percent of Muslim support against his opponent, Sen. John Kerry, Massachusetts Democrat.     

Mr. Hossain is president of the Virginia Muslim Political Action Committee, a group that endorsed Mr. Webb's candidacy. However, Mr. Hossain says neither the Virginia PAC nor MAS has a partisan affiliation. He said the PAC endorsed Mr. Webb and other Democratic candidates because of their positions on civil liberties, immigration and health care.     

Mr. Hossain did not hide his personal preference for Mr. Webb and his enthusiasm for Democratic victories a week ago, appearing at a press conference yesterday wearing a Webb campaign button on his jacket.