Muslim Public
Affairs Council
MPAC DECIDES "NON-ENDORSEMENT" IN
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
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Wednesday,
October 20, 2004
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In
response to a series of media reports regarding the American Muslim
Taskforce’s decision on the endorsement of a candidate for the 2004
Presidential election, MPAC has decided to articulate its position on
the issue. The following is the reasoning of the Board of
Directors of
the Muslim Public Affairs Council on our decision for non-endorsement.
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In
2000, the American Muslim Political Coordinating Council, comprised of
four major organizations, endorsed George W. Bush for President.
The
criteria for the endorsement were opposition to using secret evidence
in trials and providing access to the Muslim community to
government.
For the 2004 Presidential Race, 10 Muslim organizations formed the
American Muslim Taskforce (AMT), a group organized to advocate for
civil rights and access to government through the electoral
process.
AMT is led by the experienced stewardship of Dr. Agha Saeed, who has
dedicated his time and efforts to marshal the civil rights of American
Muslims. In pursuit of increased dialogue among Muslim
organizations,
MPAC worked with AMT while choosing not to be a member of the umbrella
group.
President Bush’s appointments of neo-conservatives
have raised questions on the direction of our country and the
deterioration of civil liberties have overshadowed the positive
statements he has made about Islam, especially during the sensitive
moments immediately after 9/11. Frozen assets of American Muslim
charities have been consumed by legal and administrative costs at the
expense of the donors' First Amendment right to freely practice the
fifth pillar of Islam, zakat (charity). We are disappointed in
the
performance of the Bush Administration, and polls suggest that American
Muslims are ready to support the challenger, Senator John Kerry, for
President.
Our response to those polls, however, should not be
a reactionary blank check endorsement for the Senator from
Massachusetts. We believe that he should have taken a personal
interest
in American Muslim issues to receive such a gesture of
confidence. At
the very least, he should have met with Muslim communities in
battleground states, such as Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania or
Florida.
Or, he should have met with American Muslim community leaders.
Instead,
Senator Kerry chose to avoid us, probably out of political calculation
that right-wing pundits would pounce on him for being seen with
Muslims. In contrast, Governor Jean Shaheen and Senator Ted
Kennedy,
whose leadership in addressing issues of importance to our communities
should be commended, met with Muslim community leaders. We also
thank
those staffers in the Kerry campaign who reached out to American Muslim
organizations and lobbied for courting our vote.
A major factor
in our decision is that we simply don't know what the Senator thinks
about issues of concern to the American Muslim community. To
endorse
someone we have never met is reckless. We are, therefore, going
to
continue to provide analysis of the distinctions between President Bush
and Senator Kerry. We also expect from our community an 80% voter
turnout. Based on the recent political history of American
Muslims,
that goal is achievable, and exit polls will determine in whose favor
the American Muslim community voted. An endorsement is far too
important to give away without delivering solid promises to the
community that their interests will be of paramount importance to the
next President. Leaders of other religious and ethnic communities
throughout our country do not endorse unless they receive such
promises. We should not be any different.
The role of American
Muslim leadership is not to simply amplify the will of the popular
vote; rather, it is to encourage elected officials to engage with
American Muslims on a variety of levels. The popular vote is
political
engagement at the popular level. Engaging with the voters as a
collective group is accomplished by meeting with community
leaders.
While polls indicate that Kerry will get the vast majority of American
Muslim votes, it is the candidates’ responsibility to demonstrate their
interest and commitment to the community. As marshals of the
American
Muslim interest, we cannot report that Senator Kerry has been willing
to engage with American Muslims in a substantive manner and, therefore,
we cannot in good conscience offer him our endorsement.
We
trust the political judgment and maturity of American Muslim
voters. In
this election, Muslim voters must vote their conscience based on what
is best for themselves, their communities and their country. Our
decision not to endorse a candidate in the 2004 Presidential election
must not be viewed as a directive for American Muslims to reconsider
their decision. Rather it is a reminder that although candidates
are
willing to take our votes, they are not yet willing to announce such to
the country.