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AMP Research – December 2004 Role of media in highlighting Muslim The mainstream media played an important role in highlighting the concerns Arabs and Muslims, particularly abridgment of their civil rights, the during 2004 election campaign. At the same time it helped in motivating them to participate in the political process by registering as voters. The media reported extensively about the voter registration campaigns by various local Muslim and Arab community organizations as well as Islamic centers and mosques throughout the nation. A study of more than 100 media reports shows that it was well aware that civil rights the defining issue for the Muslims and Arabs after the 9/11. According to Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Muslims in cities across the nation voiced concern over an anti-Muslim backlash after the 2001 terror attacks, and what they call the subsequent assault on civil liberties by the Bush administration. Of the more than 1,200 detainees caught up in the post-Sept. 11 dragnet, most were Muslims or people from Arab or southern Asian nations. The three million Arab-Americans, who have felt ostracized since September 11, 2001, want to show they can be a mighty political force in this year's presidential election. Agence France Presse – February 6, 2004 The media also highlighted the importance of Muslim and Arab vote and recalled the 2000 election when they voted en bloc for George Bush. George W. Bush got the Arab-American and Muslim vote in the 2000 presidential election, and the endorsement of local Arab and Muslim organizations, because he courted those communities. His aides met and spoke to advocacy groups and to mosques across the country. The president, while campaigning, said he would repeal Clinton administration laws that made it possible to charge someone without revealing the evidence against that person. But this year, the invasion of Iraq and the increased scrutiny of immigrants from Muslim nations has mobilized Arab-American and Muslim voters to turn away from Bush. The secret evidence laws Bush once hoped to overturn are now a centerpiece of anti-terrorism policy. Daily Southern – Sept. 6, 2004 The community cast a bloc vote on the advice of trusted voices, as from the Council on American Islamic Relations and the Muslim Public Affairs Council. Word spread to voters over the Internet, at Islamic centers and through popular, ethnic newspapers, such as Al-Watan and Arab World in Anaheim and An-Nahar in Whittier. This time, rank-and-file Muslim voters say their support won't be won as easily. They are grasping for a better understanding of issues and candidates and a stronger say in government. (Los Angeles Daily News – May 1, 2004) The 2000 election was a watershed for Muslim voters. For the first time, four Muslim organizations joined to endorse a candidate — George W. Bush. And the voters responded. A survey after the election suggested 72 percent of Muslim voters voted for Bush, 19 percent supported Green Party candidate Ralph Nader and only 8 percent voted for Vice President Al Gore. Thirty-six percent were first-time voters. Los Angeles Daily News – May 1, 2004 President George W. Bush won the election in 2000 with the help of this vital, under-reported bloc. Muslim and Arab American voters now feel the president has not delivered on the campaign promises he made to their community. In pre-election debates, Bush blasted racial profiling and the use of secret evidence. After 9/11, however, his administration multiplied those abuses. John Ashcroft’s Justice Department has targeted U.S. citizens and residents of Arab or Muslim origin, trampling on their civil liberties. The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs The political evolution of Arab-Americans in Paterson reflects the growing maturity, and potency, of the community nationwide as voter-registration drives and campaign contributions from affluent Arab-Americans transform a demographic that was once overlooked -- if not shunned. Star Ledger - April 20, 2004 On the Muslim voter registration campaign on Eid Al Adha, the Associated Press said: Stung by a backlash after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks and hoping to increase their clout in this year's presidential election, Muslim groups are signing up new voters in Michigan, New Jersey, Florida and across the nation. The Washington Post on the same voter registration drive reported: A call for community action punctuated a traditional day of prayer and family gathering at Washington's largest annual assembly of Muslims…. In between booths ….. volunteers for Muslim organizations registered new voters. In addition …. organizers allowed representatives for Democratic presidential candidates to address the crowds of people. According to Chicago Tribune, during this election year, politics played a role in the festivities, too, with voter registration booths set up at most sites and political candidates speaking at larger forums. On the enthusiasm of Muslim voters, News Day reported from New York: Nizar Yaghi hasn't decided for whom he'll vote on Election Day, but one thing is certain _ the Muslim American will cast his ballot this November. "After Sept. 11, I understood that Muslim Americans need to come out and present themselves to the Americans," said Yaghi, a 28-year-old engineer from Schenectady, N.Y. "One way to do this is through the political process." With the 2004 presidential election approaching, people like Yaghi are stepping up efforts to encourage their fellow Muslims to register to vote and to convince the presidential candidates that they need to be accountable to the Muslim American community, which numbers up to 7 million, according to estimates. Although Muslim groups say there are only about 4.2 million eligible Muslim voters out of 200 million eligible voters overall, they believe these voters could have considerable influence on the November election. (News Day – April 11, 2004) - Since coming to America as a 2-year-old, Animar Daghestani was content to let others make decisions about how to run his new country. But when the United States invaded Iraq, the 29-year-old school teacher did something he never did before: He registered to vote. Daghestani also plunged into politics himself this year, nearly winning a seat as a county committeeman and vowing to try again next time. "A lot of Muslims are starting to get political because of Iraq and what's going on overseas," he said. "They're starting to wake up and realize we need to get another president in here and stop the war." (CNN Sept. 4, 2004 Muslims politically motivated post-9/11) Rameen Mosref Javid did not bother voting in the 2000 elections. Back then, the 35-year-old Afghan was more interested in Far Eastern politics. He didn't consider himself a minority, and he didn't feel any persecution or fear. Then came the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, and the American Muslim world changed. "After 9/11, we became a target," said Javid, a Flushing resident, who said he has been "selected" for random airport checks each of the nine times he has flown since the attacks. He now plans to vote for the first time - and hopes other Muslims will do the same. (Muslims & Arabs now eager to vote by Leslie Casimir - New York Daily News - August 9, 2004) Glimpse from the media reports 2003 Glimpse from the media reports 2004 I Glimpse from the media reports 2004 II Glimpse from the media reports 2004 III
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