(WASHINGTON, DC – 9/20/2024) The American Muslim 2024 Election Task Force, a coalition of national 501(c)4 political organizations, today calls on all American Muslim voters to turn out in the 2024 election and vote for candidates up-and-down the ballot who support just policies here and abroad, including a presidential candidate who endorses a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and an arms embargo on the Israeli government, such as Green Party nominee Dr. Jill Stein, Justice for All nominee Dr. Cornel West or Libertarian Party nominee Chase Oliver.
The American Muslim 2024 Election Task Force thanks Dr. Stein, Dr. West, and Mr. Oliver for embracing this principled position. We also commend two presidential candidates for choosing the first-ever Muslim vice presidential nominees; Dr. West for nominating Dr. Melina Abdullah, and Dr. Stein for nominating Dr. Butch Ware.
We cannot endorse Vice President Kamala Harris’ candidacy because of her refusal to even consider imposing the arms embargo on the Israeli government required by U.S. laws and her failure to promise any other changes whatsoever to President Biden’s failed policy of steadfast financial, diplomatic and military support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Softened rhetoric is simply not enough. We warn Vice President Harris that polling shows a significant number of American Muslims and other voters in key swing states will likely not support her candidacy unless she meaningfully changes course on the Gaza genocide.
The task force also condemns former President Donald Trump and recommends that no American Muslim voters support his candidacy. President Trump’s latest attempts to inflame racial tension in our nation, from inciting hate against Haitian and Latino migrants to using “Palestinian” as a racist slur, are completely inconsistent with our values. So is his steadfast support for the Israeli government’s genocidal war on Gaza and his threat to crack down on Americans who advocate for Palestine.
In a statement, the American Muslim 2024 Election Task Force said:
“Over the past several months, members of the American Muslim 2024 Election Task Force have engaged with each other, the community members we serve, numerous political campaigns, and our friends in other communities to help inform our decision about what voting recommendations to make for the upcoming election.
“Making this decision was not easy. When it comes to the 2024 presidential election, every choice comes with its own risks, benefits, and opportunities. Recent community polling has shown that many American Muslims plan to vote for Green Party candidate Dr. Jill Stein, likely in an attempt to support the candidate with the most ballot access, weaken the two-party system, and register their support for anti-genocide candidates. Other American Muslims plan to vote for Vice President Harris to advance various policy issues or help prevent former President Trump from returning to the White House. Some voters have completely different plans or remain undecided.
“After extensive consultation, discussion, and deliberation, the American Muslim 2024 Election Task Force has decided to encourage American Muslims to vote for any presidential candidate of their choosing who supports a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and a U.S. arms embargo on the Israeli government, such as candidates Dr. Jill Stein, Dr. Cornel West or Chase Oliver. We explain the reasons for this decision in our full statement released today.
“Just as importantly, we are calling on every single eligible American Muslim to exercise their right to vote in the 2024 election. No matter which presidential candidate you ultimately support, you must turn out to vote for candidates who support justice in elections up-and-down the ballot, from city council and school board races to House and Senate races.
“The American Muslim community’s political power has grown significantly in recent years, but it must grow further so that we can ensure our own government never enables another crime like the Gaza genocide. Sitting on the sidelines in this election is not an option.
“American Muslims have the potential to significantly influence local and national elections by voting strategically. By doing so, they can support candidates who advocate for civil rights, racial equality, religious freedom, rule of law, freedom of speech, and a humane foreign policy. It’s important to remember which candidates supported or opposed local ceasefire resolutions and campus protests when making voting decisions.
“On November 5th, American Muslims must take a step forward in our long-term journey to advance just policies for people across our nation and people around the world impacted by our nation’s policies, including our Palestinian brothers and sisters facing genocide in Gaza.
“No matter what, vote.”
Read the task force’s full statement below or download here.
In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks belong to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.
May peace and blessings be upon Prophet Muhammad and his family.
FULL STATEMENT BY AMERICAN MUSLIM 2024 ELECTION TASK FORCE ON THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Over the past several months, members of the American Muslim 2024 Election Task Force have engaged with each other, the community members we serve, political campaigns, and our friends in other communities to help inform our decision about how to vote in the 2024 election.
Making this decision was not easy. When it comes to the 2024 election, there can be an argument made for each of the choices in front of us. We recognize that there are understandable reasons to vote for third-party candidates like Dr. Jill Stein, Dr. Cornel West, or Chase Oliver, just as there are understandable reasons to support Vice President Kamala Harris to prevent another Trump presidency. However, the ongoing genocide in Gaza remains a top priority for our communities.
Dr. Stein, Dr. West, and Mr. Oliver all have shown moral clarity by opposing U.S. support for the genocide in Gaza. Dr. Stein also put her physical safety on the line to stand with college students as they were brutalized by police officers for peacefully protesting that genocide.
Dr. West, who has spent years advancing Black-Palestinian solidarity and addressing the root causes of injustice in our society, made history by being the first presidential candidate to choose a Muslim vice-presidential nominee, Dr. Melina Abdullah. Dr. Stein followed by nominating Dr. Butch Ware.
We thank these and other candidates for actively reaching out to the American Muslim community and speaking up against the genocide in Gaza. At a time when most Democrats and Republicans have enabled Israel’s aggression and refused to put a stop to this genocide, the third-party candidates have made it clear to our communities that they were willing to listen to our pain and be firm on this path of justice.
When Vice President Harris first became the presumptive Democratic nominee, we were hopeful that she, too, would engage with our community and address the concerns that led many of us to oppose President Biden’s candidacy.
The American Muslim 2024 Election Task Force joined other organizations and communities in asking the Vice President to distinguish her Gaza policy from President Biden’s failed policy of steadfast diplomatic, financial, and military support and Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
Despite initial symbolic steps in the right direction—such as declining to preside over Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress, appointing respected Muslim policy experts to her campaign staff, and choosing a vice president who was not openly hostile to Palestinian humanity—Vice President Harris has sadly failed to propose any actual changes to U.S. policy.
The most recent poll on American Muslims showed that only 29% of the community supported her candidacy at the end of August. The following reasons are shared by American Muslims.
Lack of Policy Change on Ceasefire: Whenever Vice President Harris expresses rhetorical support for a ceasefire deal, she refuses to say what she’s willing to do to secure a ceasefire. Even when moderators at the ABC presidential debate specifically asked her what she would do differently than President Biden to secure a ceasefire, she sidestepped the question.
Dehumanization of Palestinian Lives: Vice President Harris’ habit of speaking about Palestinian suffering in the passive tense—as if the men, women, and children who have “been killed” and “been displaced” in Gaza are victims of a natural disaster—while assigning blame and specificity when discussing Israeli suffering, also reinforces the fear that Palestinian and Muslim life will not be treated as equal to Israeli life.
Refusal to Allow Palestinian Voice at DNC: To make matters worse, the DNC and Harris campaign’s refusal to allow any Palestinian-American to speak at the DNC convention was a deeply disturbing and offensive decision that led our coalition to wonder: if Democrats could not convince Vice President Harris to let a Palestinian briefly speak at the DNC, how can we hope to convince her to change U.S. policy on Palestine in the White House?
Despite our concerns, it is important to note that some American Muslims do plan to support Vice President Harris because of her policy stances on various domestic issues or the concern that Donald Trump would be even worse on Palestine policy and a host of other policies, including democracy, immigration, racial equality, and economic justice.
However, every voter has their own political red line: That is, there is at least one issue that could lead even the most dedicated Democrat and the most loyal Republican to refuse to support their party’s presidential nominee as a matter of principle.
If Vice President Harris announced today that she supported privatizing Social Security and Medicare, or that she no longer supported enshrining Roe v. Wade into law, or that she planned to enact a Muslim Ban, everyone would instantly understand why she would lose support from some of her most loyal supporters. Even if Donald Trump promised to enact harsher policies on those very same issues, some of Vice President Harris’ supporters would still not vote for her because she had crossed their red line.
For our coalition and for many of the American Muslims we serve, our political red line is genocide. As a matter of principle, we simply cannot support a presidential candidate who participated in enabling a genocide and then refused to lay out any concrete plans to end that genocide, all while refusing to even acknowledge that a genocide is occurring. We cannot in good conscience ask or expect our community to support her candidacy under these circumstances.
Our message for our friends outside the Muslim community
To our friends in other communities who may feel confused or dismayed by our decision not to endorse Vice President Harris: we understand the risk of not voting for Kamala Harris may make it easier for Donald Trump to return to the White House. We understand the threat that Trump poses to your communities. He poses that same threat to the American Muslim community.
In 2016 and 2020, the majority of American Muslims joined our allies in supporting the Democratic Party nominee. Many American Muslims plan to support Democratic candidates down-ballot at the congressional, state, and local levels in 2024, even as many choose not to vote for the Democratic presidential nominee. The Democratic Party and the Harris campaign must understand that our voters and our community cannot be taken for granted.
If, in the worst-case scenario, Trump somehow overcomes his extreme unpopularity and returns to the White House, we plan to do everything we can to stand with you and defeat his dangerous policies again, Insha Allah (God willing).
Our message for the American Muslim community
Disagree respectfully: we understand that voting is a personal choice, and our perspectives and personal analysis can lead us all in different directions. Thus, there may not be a definitively right or wrong answer to the question of how American Muslims should vote in 2024. We expect disagreements to occur.
Although healthy debate is valuable, our community members should not disparage each other or assume the worst of each other’s intentions—especially of leaders and groups that have a history of doing good work and acting in good faith.
We must also reject those voices on either side of the 2024 debate who attempt to turn political and strategic disagreement about how to vote into a racial or religious conflict that divides our community.
No matter what, we must vote in 2024: regardless of who you support, you must turn out to vote. We must vote with a sense of purpose and urgency. Boycotting this election will not solve anything. Your tax dollars will still go to support a genocide. You must exercise your right to vote to at least try to change our nation’s policies for the better.
Remember, down-ballot races are critically important: We must vote for anti-genocide, pro-ceasefire, pro-arms embargo candidates, and anyone who supports just policies up and down the ballot. This includes candidates who support civil rights, racial equality, economic opportunity, religious freedom, respect for the rule of law, and a humane foreign policy.
Bottom line, do not stay on the sidelines: Whether you agree with our recommendation to only support the presidential candidates who support an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza genocide and an arms embargo, get involved. Donate. Volunteer. Canvas. Most importantly: vote. Make your voice heard. Remind our political leaders that American Muslims are a growing political force whose concerns must be taken seriously.
The American Muslim community has experienced rapid political growth and maturity in recent years. We hope and pray that the 2024 presidential election, regardless of the outcome, is a turning point towards a stronger American Muslim community and a better country for all Americans and people around the world impacted by American policy, including in Gaza.
May Allah guide us to what is best in this life and the next. Ameen.
American Muslim 2024 Election Task Force
- Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action)
- Council on American-Islamic Relations Action (CAIR Action)
- The Civil Rights Alliance for America
- Muslim American Society Action (MAS Action)
- Muslim Civic Coalition-Activate
- US Council of Muslim Organizations Civic Action Network (USCMO CAN)
- Justice America
- American Arab & Muslim Political Action Committee (AMPAC)
- Voices of Muslims