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Democratic Muslims Unite for Kerry
EFL
As a nationwide political force, American Muslims may not yet condemed terrorism be huge, but in population they are — and Democratic Muslims Tuesday heralded their 40 delegates to the Democratic National Convention as their biggest contingent yet. "Muslims need to be involved in politics," said Zafar Tahir, 42, a Pakistani-born American who calls himself an "American first. An American leader who happens to be Muslim." Tahir is one of seven Muslim delegates from Texas at the convention this year to throw support to John Kerry. He said he has a strong message to other Muslim-Americans and new immigrants to this country.

Gathering at the Islamic Society of Boston in Cambridge on Tuesday, Muslim delegates and local leaders said the Democratic Party offers more to Muslims, particularly recent immigrants. They cite the prospect of equal treatment and justice.

Texas delegate Inayat Lalani, 65, a retired surgeon from India, ... said Republicans have squandered the headway they made with the Muslim community before Sept. 11 when they reached out on civil liberties issues, like the use of secret evidence against Muslim immigrants in federal prosecutions by the Clinton administration. Much of that goodwill was lost, he claimed, after Christian conservatives like Pat Robertson, who are close to the Bush administration, made comments calling the Muslim faith violent.
Posted by: Dragon Fly 2004-07-28
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=39185