AMPEC – American Muslim Political Education Committee

By Masood Rab, MMNS

Why We Should Vote in the Primary on January 15 and Our Strategy?

The current political scene in the US politics is being exploited by some political groups through collaboration of mainstream media to create an air of fear against Muslims and mobilize the un-suspecting common masses to gain control of the instruments of controlling global economy through the use of super military power. The members of American Muslim community do not have the luxury of sitting on the sidelines and watch the various theaters developing under virtual deception of the Americans and have fantasies projected as realities for consumption of politically naïve masses within US. The American Muslim community has to rise up to the challenges of the political leadership forcing wars and making the community an unwilling complicit into the inhuman acts committed by the armed forced of US.

The acceptance to stand up to the connivance of a certain political bend of a few scrupulous leaders and media outlets means a three way plan of action by the American Muslim community:

1. Clearly spell out the agenda of Muslim community within the context of mainstream community to exhibit transparent pro-activities.

2. Educate the members of the Muslim community on how the political system works and ways to effectively use the process to benefit not only Muslim community but the mainstream community which is kept in a veil of false propaganda and in darkness from the real issues and objectives of the current US political leadership.

3. Promote ideas and the people that are consistent with Muslim community thought. At the same time the Muslim community shall identify those elements that are highly undesirable for peace, stability and humanity, both inside and outside US, and ensure their failure right at the onset.

The key to implementing the American Muslim community action plan is to understand the political process in US and strategize for achieving a set of desired objectives. A successful strategy begins with the primary elections before the general election. This is where a Muslim Vote may create the highest impact with proper planning. An argument can be presented that Muslim community in Michigan may change or make or break a candidate’s position by casting every vote for the candidate or against the candidate. The American Muslim community has five to six major population centers in key states. This will provide a vital opportunity to establish the Muslim community as a vanguard of progressive politics and setting new agendas in the US, if the planning is done properly.

For example, if the American Muslim community in Michigan determines that Barrack Obama as one of the democratic candidates that measures up to the Muslim issues of concerns, the Muslim community should not stop there. It behooves the Muslim community to go further and determine the most undesirable candidate for not only the Muslim community but also for the country based on the critical Muslim issues. The American Muslim community, then, must step up to the plate and cast every vote – not for Obama, but against that undesirable candidate. Again using an example – if the Muslim community considers Giuliani as an undesirable candidate based on his positions vis-à-vis the Muslim issues, every Muslim voter in Michigan must take a Republican ballot on the primary election day and vote for another candidate in Republican Party so that Giuliani does not win Michigan and his campaign gets derailed. The primary process in Michigan allows to pick either of the two ballots, Democrat or Republican, for the vote. The Muslim community must very honestly understand that the system of governance in this country follows in the same general direction, irrespective of who is in leadership. With Democrats, the paths may be less treacherous than if the Republicans are in power, but are leading in the same direction! Unless the system gets an overhaul, there will be very little change in the way whole system operates in this country.

The Muslim community’s failure to recognize the importance of primary elections and their vital role in the overall elections process will mean that this year, as usual, a small minority of voters will make decisions for everyone else and the outcome most likely will not be pleasant for the American Muslims. The consequence of apathy and non-involvement by the Muslim community members who will not vote in the primary election has the potential to be long-lasting, severe and painful.

As Plato once said, “The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (or women).”

Next Week – Preliminary Survey Data Analysis and Candidate Watch for January 15 Primary Election.

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