American Muslim leaders from six pivotal swing states have pledged to mobilize their communities against President Joe Biden's re-election bid due to his support for the Israeli war in Gaza, but they have yet to settle on an alternative candidate for the 2024 elections. These six states were among the few that allowed Biden to win in the 2020 elections. Opposition from the large Muslim and Arab American communities could complicate the president's path to securing Electoral College votes in the upcoming year.
Jelani Hussein, director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), stated during a press conference in Dearborn, Michigan, when asked for alternatives to Biden, "We don't have two options but many options." He added, "We do not support former President Donald Trump," emphasizing that the Muslim community would decide how to engage with other candidates. Hussein clarified that he was expressing his personal views, not CAIR's opinions.
The so-called "Abandon Biden" campaign initiated when Minnesota Muslims called on Biden to advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza. The campaign has since spread to Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Florida. American and Israeli officials have rejected calls for a permanent cessation of hostilities. Vice President Kamala Harris reiterated Biden's assertion that Israel has the right to defend itself.
Biden's campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment. American Muslims indicated they do not expect Trump to treat their community better if re-elected, but they see withholding their votes from Biden as the only way to influence American policy.
It remains unclear whether Muslim voters will collectively turn against Biden, but even slight shifts in support could make a difference in states that Biden won by narrow margins in 2020. A recent poll showed Biden's popularity among Arab Americans dropped from a comfortable majority in 2020 to 17 percent. This could be critical in a state like Michigan, where Biden won by 2.8 percentage points, with Arab Americans representing 5 percent of the votes, according to the Arab American Institute.
Dr. Tarek Amin, who represents the Muslim community in Wisconsin, noted that there are around 25,000 Muslim voters in the state, where Biden won by about 20,000 votes. Amin stated, "We will change our voting and make it swing."
In Arizona, where Biden won by about 10,500 votes, pharmacist Hazem Nasruddin mentioned that there are more than 25,000 Muslim voters in the state, according to the U.S. Immigration Policy Center at UC San Diego. He added, "We will not stand with a man who tainted a blue wave with drops of red blood."
