Muslim Leaders Call on Democrates to Focus on Civil Rights Issues

June 25, 2003

Source: Religion News Service

http://pewforum.org/news/display.php?NewsID=2354

On June 25, 2003 Religion News Service reported that "despite Muslims' and Arab-Americans' frustration with President Bush over what they perceive as unfair treatment, Democrats shouldn't automatically expect those voters to swing their way in 2004, Arab and Muslim leaders say... Bush captured a majority of the Arab and Muslim vote in 2000 after he joined GOP activists in reaching out to their leaders. But many of those leaders have been upset by the Justice Department's treatment of Muslims and Arabs since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks... Muslims and Arabs also criticized the administration's invasion of Iraq, though the toppling of Saddam Hussein's regime has won approval from Iraqi immigrants in Michigan, a battleground state in 2004... If Democrats want to capitalize on Muslim and Arab voters' dissatisfaction with Bush, their leaders say, they need to start talking about civil rights and other issues important to their communities."