A group of imams endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris in an open letter first shared with NBC News on Sunday, giving her a critical boost. increases its efforts Winning back disgruntled Muslim voters in the Israel-Hamas war.
The Democratic presidential candidate faced Harris widespread anger Muslim and Arab voters may be as critical of the Biden administration’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza as some of the battleground states. Michigan.
The 25 Islamic religious leaders who signed the letter, which came a year after the Oct. 7 terrorist attack that sparked the war, argue that Muslim voters have a duty to think logically about their voting decisions and that supporting Harris “far outweighs the harm.” other options.”
“He is also a candidate committed to a ceasefire and the best choice to end the bloodshed in Gaza and now in Lebanon,” they wrote.
Imams have claimed that former President Donald Trump is a threat to their community.
“Knowingly allowing someone like Donald Trump to return to office, either directly or by voting for a third-party candidate, is both a moral and strategic failure. “Especially in swing states, a third-party vote could allow Trump to win that state and therefore the election,” they wrote.
“Given [Trump’s] “Given his history of harming our communities and our country, as well as what he has promised to do to Muslims and Palestinians if he returns, it is our duty not to let our heightened emotions dictate our actions to our detriment.” the letter is read.
In the letter, the leaders’ “responsibility, one Amananot to harm our society.”
It’s a remarkable endorsement of a community where Harris has been at a loss for his well-known allies.
Several prominent Muslim groups supported anti-war third-party candidates such as Jill Stein and Cornel West, while others launched the Deny Harris movement to chastise Democrats for the Biden administration’s continued support for Israel.
Many other Muslim groups and leaders who have supported Democrats in the past have withheld their endorsements or refused to endorse any presidential candidate.
Some critics feel that Harris has largely abandoned the Muslim and Arab American community. An estimated 700,000 people voted “no vote” during this year’s Democratic primaries in protest of President Joe Biden’s policies. Delegates demand a Palestinian speaker at the Democratic National Convention this summer was rejected.
Mohamed Elsanousi, a Muslim community leader who helped organize the pro-Harris letter, noted that most of the 25 signatories are regular imams with large congregations, including some in swing states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina.
He said he hoped the support of religious leaders would make conflicted Muslim voters feel more comfortable voting for Harris, despite strong opposition from some prominent Muslim voices.
“I really hope that with this letter a lot of people will change their minds,” Elsanousi said. “Tecil [for Harris] is growing in society.”
The letter is the latest effort on behalf of the Harris campaign to reach out to those voters after that met with the leaders of the Muslim community at Michigan on Friday. Her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, addressed the virtual event hosted by a Pro-Harris Muslim voting group on Thursday. Also last week, the vice president’s national security adviser met with Leaders of the Arab and Muslim community in Washington.
“The Vice President is committed to working to win every vote, unite our country and be a President for all Americans,” said Nasrina Bargzie, director of Muslim and Arab American advocacy for the campaign. “Vice President Harris has been steadfast throughout his career in supporting our country’s diverse Muslim community, including ensuring they live free from the Trump administration’s hateful policies.”