BY SEAN HIGGINS
INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY
Posted 8/25/2008
Inayal Lalani, an activist with the American Muslim Democratic Caucus,
didn't wait for the question to be raised. He volunteered that,
despite some rumors, Barack Obama's campaign was not "shunning" the
Muslim community.
The same point was made repeatedly at the caucus' Democratic National
Convention luncheon in Denver on Monday by Reps. Keith Ellison,
D-Minn., Andre Carson, D-Ind., and Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick, among
other representatives from the Obama campaign.
"There is an unfortunate impression among many in the Muslim community
that Obama has been distant," Joshua DuBois, Obama's national
religious coordinator, admitted. That's not so, Dubois says. But the
fact that so many speakers addressed the issue showed the strained
relations that Obama has with that community.
Nuanced Outreach
For Obama it is a delicate matter. He is struggling to win over the
blue-collar voters in swing states he will need to win. But in doing
so he has appeared to distance himself from the multicultural
coalition that helped him win the nomination in the first place. His
vice presidential choice, Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., is a 65-year-old
white Catholic with roots in Scranton, Pa.
Relations with Muslims are also tricky due to viral e-mails claiming
Obama is a closet Muslim. Though his father was a lapsed Muslim, he
was raised by his secular white mother and her parents. He now attends
Christian churches.
His campaign created a page on his Web site called Fight the Smears to
debunk such rumors, but some Muslims at the luncheon took umbrage at
the notion that being called a Muslim is a smear.
Muslims also didn't like a June incident in which an aide ushered
women wearing Muslim head scarves out of a photo-op with Obama, who
later apologized.
Obama also has worked to assuage Jewish voters' concerns that he is
pro-Palestinian. But those efforts have troubled many Muslims.
During a Q&A session for the caucus, one woman expressed annoyance
that Obama's campaign has three coordinators for the Jewish community
but none for Muslims.
Key Aide Hasn't Really Quit
Last month, his coordinator for Muslim outreach, Mazen Asbahi, a
Chicago lawyer, quit after reports that he belonged to the board of an
Islamic investment fund that included a radical imam.
Asbahi has not stopped working on behalf of Obama, though. He appeared
at the luncheon to say that despite his official exit he was still
"110%" behind Obama and that he was participating in campaign
conference calls on Muslim outreach.
Stepping down was a "strategic decision," he told the audience. Asbahi
declined to answer IBD questions clarifying his current role.
With polls showing a tight race with Sen. John McCain, Obama has
reason to soothe Muslim concerns. The exact number of Muslim Americas
often is disputed. A 2007 Pew survey put it at 2.35 million. There are
substantial populations in swing states such as Michigan, Ohio and
Virginia.
In 2000, George W. Bush is believed to have won a slight majority of
the Muslim vote via aggressive outreach. Since 9/11, they have shifted
and now identify about 2-1 Democratic. Many cite war on terror
policies, claiming they have been unfairly singled out.
"Our major concern is the erosion of human and civil rights," said
Dawud Walid, a Michigan activist. He said he wants to see an Obama
administration revisit the Patriot Act and warrantless wiretapping.
Walid, a former John Edwards fan, now supports Obama but rather
tepidly: "I don't think the Muslim community has any reason to doubt
(Obama's) commitment."
Ellison and Carson, the only Muslims in Congress, tried to reassure
the audience. They noted Obama endorsed and did ads for both of them
in their recent campaigns.
Ellison also noted that "this is the first time ever that Muslim
Americans have gathered together as a group at a Democratic
convention."
Yet he also had a word of caution.
"I'm a liberal Democrat and proud to be one but don't forget that
parties are vehicles," he said. "The Muslim community cannot be
captured by any one party."
Many heads in the audience nodded along.
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