American Muslim leaders ended their largest annual meeting with a rousing plea to thousands of community members that they vote against Bush in the presidential election. Muslims urgently want to register their political presence in this country as a step toward ending what many believe are excesses in the war on terror. "We have to demand justice," said Mahdi Bray, head of the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation, as the convention wound down Sunday night. "We have to stand up to this government and say, `What you're doing is wrong'."
Fighting and preventing terrorism is not wrong, Mr. Bray.
The American Muslim Taskforce, an umbrella group for top U.S. Muslim organizations, met behind closed doors separately from the weekend conference, deliberating whether to make an endorsement in the race...Despite bitter feelings over how President Bush has conducted the war on terror, Muslim leaders said an endorsement for his challenger, Democratic Sen. John Kerry, was not guaranteed...A decision is expected by next month.
A great Futures opportunity. Anyone care to guess?
In 2000, leaders of major Muslim organizations made their first endorsement in a presidential race, choosing Bush over Democrat Al Gore....However, many rank-and-file Muslims -- especially U.S.-born blacks, who vote overwhelmingly Democratic -- opposed that 2000 decision. After the September 11, 2001, attacks, and the anti-terror policies that followed, the Muslim leaders who had organized the Bush endorsement said openly they had made a mistake.
Read that again: After the 9-11 attacks...the Bush endorsement was a mistake. |