2/17/2004 1:15:00 PM
To: National Desk, Political Reporter
WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 /U.S. Newswire/ -- A nationwide coalition of Islamic organizations today announced the formation of a task force designed to encourage community-based Muslim political participation and to defend against the erosion of civil liberties in a post-9/11 social environment.
The new group, called the "American Muslim Taskforce on Civil Rights and Elections (AMT)," will concentrate on helping Muslims become "full partners in the development and prosperity of our homeland," defending the civil rights of all Americans and developing alliances "on a wide variety of social, political, economic, and moral issues." SEE: http://www.americanmuslimvoter.net/
Task force organizers say they will put forward a "civil rights plus" agenda for the 2004 election cycle in which civil rights is the most important issue, but not the only issue. The AMT election plan states: "We remain equally committed to (the issues of) education, homelessness, economic recovery, environmental and ecological safety, electoral reform, crime, and global peace and justice."
"Our vote is the best guarantee of our civil rights and the best expression of our citizenship," said AMT Coordinator Agha Saeed. "We will mobilize American Muslim voters at the local, state and national levels, with a primary focus on those states and races that may have the most impact in the coming elections."
AMT co-sponsors have committed to organize voter education and registration drives, encourage Muslims to work in political campaigns, host candidates' town hall meetings, issue candidate scorecards on issues of importance to the Muslim community, and to form coalitions with like-minded groups.
2004 Election Plan
AMT defines
objectives, issues, strategies; sets forth a bottom-up, community-based
decision-making process
AMT 2004 Election Plan
The
AMT 2004 Election Plan consists of seven (7) key elements: 1)
objectives, 2) issues, 3) strategy, 4) community education and
mobilization, 5) criteria-based feedback from the community 6)
community-based decision-making process, and 7) tasks for individuals
and organizations during Jan-Nov. 2004.
Our
four main objectives are to: 1) become full partners in the defense,
development and prosperity of our homeland, the United States, 2)
defend civil and human rights of all, 3) mainstream the American Muslim
community, and 4) develop alliances with like-minded fellow Americans
on a wide variety of social, political, economic and moral issues.
In 2004 Election we will focus our efforts on a "Civil Rights Plus" agenda. By this we mean that ‘the civil rights for all’ is the main issue but not the only issue. We remain equally committed to education, homelessness, economic recovery, environmental and ecological safety, electoral reform, crime, and global peace and justice. Our ‘civil rights plus agenda’ is broadly organized under three categories: a) civil and human rights, b) domestic issues of public good and general welfare, c) global peace with justice, prevention of war, and US relations with the Muslim world.
Our overall strategy is premised on the belief that “Our
vote is the best guarantee of our civil rights and the best expression
of our citizenship”. The AMT will organize strategic mobilization
of the American Muslim voters at local, state and federal levels, with
primary focus on key states and key races.
Voter
Registration and Voter Education
Viewing elections as an opportunity for both self-empowerment and
direct participation in discussions about all issues including
America’s sense of direction and destiny, the AMT shall expend its
maximum energy in educating, organizing and mobilizing the American
Muslim voters.
The
AMT has set up a system to get the American Muslim voters to provide
feedback about candidates on the basis of the following criteria:
Position on Civil
Rights and other key issues detailed above
Performance Record
Inclusiveness
1. Community
Input - Each participating organization will be obliged to make a
good faith effort to reach out to its own members to ensure their
participation in the decision making process. Organizations will
be free to seek such participation and policy input through opinion
polls, questionnaires, community forums, town hall meetings, e-groups
and other similar means. Each organization shall make a good faith
effort to enable each of its members to have an equal say in the
decision making process.
2. Organizational
Input - The Taskforce shall make good faith effort to ensure that
each member organization will receive equal consideration during the
decision-making process.
3. AMT
Questionnaire for Presidential Candidates: The AMT will send a
questionnaire to all presidential candidates to ascertain their
position on issues of importance to Muslim Americans. The AMT will also
ask each candidate for an exclusive meeting.
4. Candidate
Research and Scorecard: In addition to the above questionnaire the
AMT shall research presidential candidates and issue a scorecard to
enable community members to make informed judgments about various
candidates.
Tasks for individuals and organizations
We ask all community members and organizations to fulfill
their obligations as informed voters and responsible citizens during
this election year. Here is a list of tasks that your may want to
perform individually and / or collectively: