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25 ISLAMIC IMANS AND CLERICS URGE MUSLIMS ACROSS US TO DEFEAT TRUMP
 
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Brett Wilkins
October 7, 2024
Common Dreams [[link removed]]

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_ "Knowingly enabling someone like Donald Trump to return to office,
whether by voting directly for him or for a third-party candidate, is
both a moral and a strategic failure." [Full letter from Islamic Imans
and Clerics, listing signers is below] _

Muslims pray during the funeral of Wadea Al-Fayoume—a 6-year-old
Palestinian American boy who was stabbed to death in what authorities
called a hate crime—at the Mosque Foundation in Bridgeview, Illinois
on October 16, 2023. , Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski // Common Dreams

 

Balancing grave concerns over the Biden-Harris administration's
support for Israel's yearlong assault on Gaza
[[link removed]] against the dire prospects of
a potential second administration of former Republican
President Donald Trump
[[link removed]], a group of 25 U.S.
Islamic clerics on Sunday urged American Muslims to "consider the
broad picture" and vote for Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris
[[link removed]].

"We are all heartbroken and in deep pain over the war in Gaza and the
escalation in Lebanon. We stand with the global-wide outcry to
immediately stop the continued genocide against the Palestinian
people," the religious leaders, who include numerous imams, wrote in
a letter to Muslim voters
[[link removed]].
"The collective conscience, inherent soul, and sense of justice of all
humanity [are] assaulted, disturbing the peace of all. We are all one
in our frustration to the point of anger."

"What's popular is not always right and what's right is not always
popular. In our estimation, the present-future benefits of voting for
Vice President Harris far outweighs the harms of the other options."

"We are taught by our beloved Prophet Muhammad to 'resist becoming
angry,' for it eats up goodness and overrides rational thinking," the
letter states. "Our lives in these United States of America are not in
a vacuum, and as such the election choices, the decisions that we make
are not either. They don't just affect us, but all American citizens
for years, maybe decades to come."

"We are to be future-oriented, strategic, and rational rather than
just focus on the present," the clerics asserted. "Thus, it is an
imperative that we elect leaders who have committed to a cease-fire,
an independent Palestine
[[link removed]], stabilizing our
democracy, and who stand with our community."

The letter continues:

In assessing the candidates for president, for us it's not the lesser
of two evils. For us, as people of faith, specifically as Muslims,
it's the measure or estimate (Qadar) of the Harm (Sharr or Darri) and
the Benefit (Khayr or naf'ee). When faced with a choice, we are
expected to carefully assess the potential benefits and harm involved,
prioritizing actions that bring better and minimize negative
consequences...

What's popular is not always right and what's right is not always
popular. In our estimation, the present-future benefits of voting for
Vice President Harris far outweighs the harms of the other options.
Let's consider the broad picture in addition to the one in our
immediate vision.

Turning their attention to Trump, the clerics said that "our community
is in pain, but we must also remember that we cannot allow our country
to return to Jim Crow America, this is not a reality our community can
afford."

"Knowingly enabling someone like Donald Trump to return to office,
whether by voting directly for him or for a third-party candidate, is
both a moral and a strategic failure," they stressed. "Particularly in
swing states, a vote for a third party could enable Trump to win that
state and therefore the election."

"In 2016, Trump won Michigan by merely 11,000 votes mainly because of
votes cast for third-party candidates. This enabled Trump to inflict
great harm on our communities and country in numerous ways," the
letter says. "Trump is funded by pro-settlement donors who support
Israeli annexation of the West Bank, he has promised to give [Israeli
Prime Minister Bemjamin] Netanyahu what he needs to 'finish the job'
in Gaza, and even promised to deport pro-Palestinian students and
activists who he refers to as 'jihadists.' Jared Kushner, his
son-in-law, has promised to turn Gaza into 'lucrative beachfront
properties.'"

"Given his well-documented history of harming our communities and
country, as well as what he has promised he will do to Muslims and
Palestinians should he return, it is incumbent upon us not to allow
our high emotions to dictate our actions to our detriment," the
clerics argued.

Trump's anti-Muslim animus far predates his presidency. In 2011
he said
[[link removed]] the
U.S. "absolutely" has a "Muslim problem." While campaigning in 2016 he
said that "Islam hates us" and that it is "very hard" to differentiate
between "radical Islam" and the entire Muslim faith.

As president, Trump ordered
[[link removed]] multiple
bans on people from predominantly Muslim countries. The U.S. Supreme
Court—three of whose right-wing members were appointed by
Trump—upheld
[[link removed]] a
version of the ban. On the international stage, Trump followed through
on his campaign promise to "bomb the shit out of
[[link removed]]" the so-called Islamic
State and "take out their families." Thousands of civilians
were killed
[[link removed]] in
U.S. attacks on seven predominantly Muslim nations, matching the
number of countries bombed by former President Barack Obama and
exceeding the six nations attacked during the presidency of George W.
Bush.

"We cannot turn our backs on our diverse Muslim community at home and
those abroad who are impacted by U.S. policies in our moment of pain
and anger," the letter contends. "And we have a responsibility,
an amana [[link removed]], not to
place our community in harm's way."

The clerics said that Harris and her Democratic running mate,
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz [[link removed]],
"see a new way forward and are not going back."

"We stand with moving forward," they concluded, "and call on other
imams and our communities to move forward with us."

The letter stands in stark contrast with the stance of Abandon Harris,
a swing state, Muslim-led coalition that says it seeks to hold the
Biden-Harris administration "accountable for the Gaza genocide." The
campaign endorsed
[[link removed]] Green Party
candidate Jill Stein on Monday.

While the Uncommitted National Movement—a coalition of
pro-Palestine, peace, and progressive groups that urged people
to vote "uncommitted"
[[link removed]] in
Democratic primaries in a bid to pressure the Biden administration to
push Israel [[link removed]] for a Gaza
cease-fire—is not endorsing Harris, the group stressed
[[link removed]] that
it opposes Trump and that voting third-party "is a mistake."

     ==========

Muslim Imams and Leaders Letter to the Community on the 2024 Elections
[[link removed]]

We are all heartbroken and in deep pain over the war in Gaza and the
escalation in Lebanon. We stand with the global wide outcry to
immediately stop the continued Genocide against the Palestinian
people. The collective conscience, inherent soul, and sense of justice
of all humanity is assaulted, disturbing the peace of all. 

We are all one in our frustration to the point of anger. We are taught
by our beloved Prophet Muhammad (saw) to “resist becoming angry”
for it eats up goodness and overrides rational thinking. Our lives in
these United States of America are not in a vacuum, and as such the
election choices, the decisions that we make are not either. They
don't just affect us, but all American citizens for years, maybe
decades to come. We are to be future oriented, strategic, and rational
rather than just focus on the present. Thus, it is an imperative that
we elect leaders who have committed to a ceasefire, an independent
Palestine, stabilizing our democracy and who stand with our
community. 

In assessing the candidates for President, for us it’s not the
lesser of two evils. For us, as people of faith, specifically as
Muslims, it’s the measure or estimate (Qadar) of the Harm (Sharr or
Darri) and the Benefit (Khayr or naf’ee). When faced with a choice,
we are expected to carefully assess the potential benefits and harm
involved, prioritizing actions that bring better and minimize negative
consequences. This was modelled in our beloved prophet’s (pbuh)
signing the unjust Treaty of al-Hudaybiya with the enemy. This was
also integral to the thinking of Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, the first
Imam in America’s history who, along with the great Muhammad Ali,
promoted embracing our American and Muslim identity when he picked up
the American flag and began engaging in interfaith relations. This was
present-future oriented as both of which weren’t popular at the
time. But what’s popular is not always right and what’s right is
not always popular. In our estimation, the present-future benefits of
voting for Vice President Harris far outweighs the harms of the other
options. Let’s consider the broad picture in addition to the one in
our immediate vision. 

First, in fact, what is happening is not on her for she is not the
President of these United States. Prior to serving in her current
position, Vice President Harris has been regularly engaging with the
Muslim community throughout her long and distinguished career. When
Donald Trump passed the Muslim Ban, it was the then Senator Harris who
filed a bill in the Senate seeking to provide access to legal counsel
for our brothers and sisters caught in the Muslim Ban. Vice President
Harris held the first Eid Al-Adha celebration in American history at
her home, welcoming Muslim leaders from across America into her living
room. This is beyond symbolism; it is an affirmation that Islam is an
American religion. 

When the war in Gaza began, she traveled and met with regional leaders
and made clear that the U.S. would pursue a two-state solution, and
what reconstruction of Gaza would look like, she also made clear that
international humanitarian law must be respected. She stood on the
Edmund Pettus Bridge, on hallowed ground for the civil rights warriors
who fought for the Voting Rights Act. She was the first in the
Administration to demand a ceasefire and she spoke about the
devastating loss of life in Gaza and the unfolding humanitarian
crisis. Just two months ago, when she met with Prime Minister
Netanyahu, she held a press conference afterward and was clear as to
her dismay with him and said she would not be silent about the
suffering in Gaza. She has spoken with Palestinian Americans returning
from Gaza, she has spoken with Palestinian Americans who have lost
family in Gaza, she has met with doctors returning from medical
missions in Gaza. She is a committed ceasefire candidate too and is
the best option for ending the bloodshed in Gaza and now Lebanon.

Our community is in pain, but we must also remember that we cannot
allow our country to return to Jim Crow America, this is not a reality
our community can afford. Knowingly enabling someone like Donald Trump
to return to office, whether by voting directly for him or for a
third-party candidate, is both a moral and a strategic failure.
Particularly in swing states, a vote for a third party could enable
Trump to win that state and therefore the elections. 

In 2016, Trump won Michigan by merely 11,000 votes mainly because of
votes cast for third-party candidates. This enabled Trump to inflict
great harm on our communities and country in numerous ways. Trump is
funded by pro-settlement donors who support Israeli annexation of the
West Bank, he has promised to give Netanyahu what he needs to
“finish the job” in Gaza, and even promised to deport pro-
Palestinian students and activists who he refers to as “jihadists”
Jared Kushner, his son- in-law has promised to turn Gaza into
“lucrative beachfront properties.”. 

Given his well-documented history of harming our communities and
country, as well as what he has promised he will do to Muslims and
Palestinians should he return, it is incumbent upon us not to allow
our high emotions to dictate our actions to our detriment. We cannot
turn our backs on our diverse Muslim community at home and those
abroad who are impacted by U.S. policies in our moment of pain and
anger. And we have a responsibility, an Amana, not to place our
community in harm's way. Vice President Harris and Governor Walz have
been clear, they see a New Way Forward and are not going back. We
stand with moving forward, and call on other imams and our communities
to move forward with us.

In Service and Sincerity, 

1- IMAM TALIB SHAREEF, Washington, DC 
2- IMAM RASHAD ABDUL RAHMAAN, Georgia 
3- IMAM JOEL SAAHIR, North Carolina 
4- IMAM ABDUL RAHMAN SHAREEF, North Carolina 
5- IMAM ALBERT SABIR – Washington, DC 
6- IMAM JOHN BILAL, Maryland 
7- IMAM NAIM MUHAMMAD, North Carolina 
8- DR. BASHEER AHMED, Dallas, TX 
9- IMAM FAHEEM SHUAIBE, Oakland, California 
10- IMAM PLEMON ELAMIN, Atlanta, Georgia 
11- QADIR ABDUS SALAAM, Maryland 
12- HASSAN MUHAMMAD, Washington, DC 
13- ANWAR SALEEM, Washington, DC 
14- IMAM BENJAMIN ABDUL HAQQ, Washington, DC 
15- IMAM MANSOOR SABREE, Atlanta, Georgia 
16- MS. SOUMAYA KHALIFA, Atlanta, Georgia 
17- MS. LAILA MOHAMMED, New Jersey 
18- IMAM MIKAIL STEWART SAADIQ, Detroit, Michigan 
19- IMAM BASHAR ARAFAT, Maryland 
20- COMMISSIONER FLEMING EL-AMIN, Masjed Al-Mu’Minun, NC 
21 - COMMANDER LYNDON BILAL, Washington DC 
22- IMAM SAAFIR RABB, Baltimore, MD 
23- IMAM MUHAMMAD ABDUL ALEEM, Philadelphia, PA 
24- IMAM FAHAD MUHAMMAD, Milwaukee, WI 
25- IMAM SALAAM MUHSIN, PA

* Islamic clerics
[[link removed]]
* American Muslims
[[link removed]]
* Arab Americans
[[link removed]]
* Palestinian Americans
[[link removed]]
* 2024 Elections
[[link removed]]
* Kamala Harris
[[link removed]]
* Donald Trump
[[link removed]]
* Israel-Gaza War
[[link removed]]
* Israel
[[link removed]]
* Palestine
[[link removed]]
* Gaza
[[link removed]]
* Palestinians
[[link removed]]
* Fascism
[[link removed]]
* Islamophobia
[[link removed]]
* xenophobia
[[link removed]]
* Immigration
[[link removed]]
* Project 2025
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* war crimes
[[link removed]]
* Two-state Solution
[[link removed]]
* Racism
[[link removed]]

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