The war in Gaza and the U.S. economy led many Muslim voters across the country to turn away from Democrat Kamala Harris during the presidential election. Instead, many in the Muslim community cast their ballot for either Republican Donald Trump or Green Party candidate Jill Stein.
Khalid Turaani, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR Ohio, said he was personally against the re-election of Joe Biden before he dropped out of the presidential race.
WOSU’s Debbie Holmes spoke with Turaani about expectations from the Muslim community about the second Donald Trump administration.
Holmes: Did your organization analyze data from the election and what did you find among Muslim voters in Ohio?
Turaani: Yes, we have found that Muslim voters in Ohio and really across the swing states have dropped the Democratic Party, when eight out of 10 of them voted in 2020 for the Democratic nominee. At the time, Joe Biden, no less than 21% had voted for the Democrats. Obviously, this was a protest vote and our community was very disheartened and upset with the genocide that has been supported by a Democratic administration that refused to support a ceasefire, and actually use the veto power at the U.N. Security Council about five times to prevent a ceasefire in Gaza.
Holmes: Across the U.S., CAIR analyzed nationwide exit polling and found 53% of Muslim-Americans voted for Jill Stein. Also, that 21% of Muslims cast a ballot for Trump and 20.3% for Harris. Support had also dropped in three Michigan cities with the nation’s largest Arab-American and Muslim populations there. Why didn’t Kamala Harris resonate at all in the community?
Turaani: I think this has been symptomatic of the Democratic Party generally dealing with arrogance with voters and being completely disconnected from the base. I mean, it is this elitist mindset I think that is hurting the Democratic Party. I mean, when eight out of 10 Muslim-Americans voted for the Democratic Party, because they were concerned about a Trump presidency in 2020, and now 21% only voted for the Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. It tells me there is an issue with the Democratic party and with the nominee. For example, Kamala Harris refused, refused actually to meet with Muslim-American voters in the state of Michigan as a swing state. And a senior aide said we’re going to win Michigan without you. Well, not only did she lose Michigan, she lost all of the swing states.
Holmes: So, what are your looking for from Donald Trump as he takes office? Again, the last time in 2017, he quickly put in a ban for visitors to the U.S. from seven predominantly Muslim countries.
Turaani: The concern about a Trump presidency is not only with the Muslim community. I think all minorities are concerned about a Trump presidency. His rhetoric has been very divisive and very concerning. And I think we, with the rest of Americans, are going to have to create coalitions to make sure that rights are preserved, our republic is preserved, and that the rhetoric of him wanting to be a dictator or wanting to do this or that to the different minorities and different communities, that we have to be a united front, not only for the minorities and their rights, but also really to preserve the republic and to preserve our democracy. The things that he said during his campaign are dangerous and very, very concerning.
Holmes: So, are you expecting a quick end now to the war in Gaza and what does that look like?
Turaani: I believe that an American president can end the war, the genocide in Gaza in one day. I think Joe Biden could have done it. I think Donald Trump can do it. Are they willing to do it? That is a different story. I hope that Donald Trump, I mean with the little hope that I have for him, I would hope that he is going to do what Joe Biden did not do and that is end the genocide in Gaza and end this war.
Holmes: What needs to happen in the economy and how do you think Trump and his administration can bring positive results to cut down costs?
Turaani: Definitely, not by starting a tariff war with China, Mexico and Canada. I think that is for starters because guess what? It is going to be the American consumers who are going to pay for that. I think catering to the billionaire class is not the way to bring or to expand the middle class. If there are tariffs against the Chinese, that means there's going to be high prices that we're going to pay at the Dollar General and at Best Buy and at Home Depot and the bottom of the barrel, and the American society is where the brunt of this cost is going to be born. And I think prices are going to get higher and the billionaire class is not going to be affected hardly any by these rising prices.
