Four months ahead of the November presidential vote, American Muslims are complaining of being ignored by the Democratic and Republican candidates Barack Obama and John McCain.
“McCain and Obama are not saying anything about Muslims and Arab Americans,” Jana Musleh, 18, told The Detroit News on Saturday, July 5.
“We are being discriminated against every day.
“They are not saying anything about our issues,” added Musleh, who is working with the nonpartisan Arab American Institute to turn out the Arab vote.
Many Muslims complain that the two presidential contenders shy from meeting Muslim imams publicly, unlike the candidates in the 2000 and 2004 elections.
Neither of the candidates seeks to appear in mosques, despite repeated visits to churches and synagogues.
“I feel like I am in a losing battle,” said Eftikhar Saleh, a teacher at the Star International Academy in Dearborn Heights, a volunteer for the Obama campaign.
“They are so afraid to talk about Islam because they don’t know what to say.
“And they don’t know what the American public will think because there is this overall fear that Islam is somehow a dangerous religion, so they don’t want to go near it.”
There are between six to seven million Muslims in the United States, making up less than three percent of the country’s 300 million population.
A 2007 survey by Pew Research Center and the Pew Forum indicated that attitudes toward Muslims and Islam have grown more negative in recent years.
Outreach
Muslims complain that the White House hopefuls are steering clear of them to avoid any linkage with the sizable minority.
“One of the aspects that contributed to make this a great issue was the unfortunate negative debate that controlled the Democratic Party nomination race,” said Imad Hamad, regional director of American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.
“Unfortunately, those who oppose Senator Obama tried to use his race, his national origin, and tried to promote that he has an Arab name and the Muslim faith. Up to this day, they throw it in his face.”
Obama, who describes himself as a proud follower of the Trinity United Church of Christ, has been outspoken in refuting smear campaigns describing him as a Muslim in disguise.
The Illinois senator is the son of a Muslim-turned-atheist Kenyan father and a white American mother that did not practice religion.
Born in Hawaii, he lived from ages 6 to 10 in Indonesia with his mother and Muslim stepfather.
“There’s been a long whisper campaign that Barack Obama is somehow a closet Muslim,” said Michael Fauntroy, an author and professor of public policy at George Mason University.
“Rather than deal with it straight on, he is not going to call any attention to it.”
Last month, Obama’s campaign apologized to two American Muslim women who were barred from sitting behind him at an election rally for wearing hijab.
“And with McCain, he is so closely tied to the Bush administration policies; he is unlikely to get their support,” said Fauntroy.
McCain has angered American Muslims by declining to stop labeling terrorists and extremists as “Islamic”.
The two presidential runners said that they are approaching voters of all backgrounds and faiths.
“Senator Obama is deeply committed to reaching out to people of all backgrounds and faiths who share his commitment to changing America,” said spokesman Dan Leistikow.
The McCain campaign also said the Republican candidate is “talking to all voters.”
“The Muslim American community in Michigan is one of great entrepreneurial spirit made of many small business owners.”
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