Washington, United States: Millions of Muslim voters have underscored that they will mobilize their votes toward Joe Biden during the presidential elections in 2024 unless immediate steps are not taken to secure a ceasefire in Gaza.
According to the reports by news agency Reuters, Muslim Americans are joined by some Democratic Party activists to show their support towards the decision to secure a ceasefire.
Reportedly, the members of the National Muslim Democratic Council from the highly contested states to decide the elections, including Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania – asked the president to become a bridge and use his influence to ceasefire by 5 pm ET (2100 GMT) on Tuesday.
The members shared an open letter titled “2023 Ceasefire Ultimatum.” Through this, they cleared their intentions to mobilize the votes of the Muslim community to “withhold endorsement, support, or votes for any candidate who endorses the Israeli offensive against the Palestinian people,” according to reports by Reuters.
The council further expressed, “Your administration’s unconditional support, encompassing funding and armaments, has played a significant role in perpetuating the violence that is causing civilian casualties and has eroded trust in voters who previously put their faith in you.”
The letter by the National Muslim Democratic Council
The organization was collectively founded by former US Representative Keith Ellison, Minnesota’s attorney general and the first Muslim elected to Congress, and Representative Andre Carson of Indiana.
The latest letter was signed out of frustration and anger among the Arab and Muslim American communities. These communities are asking Biden to condemn Israel and stop attacking the Gaza Strip after Hamas militants’ attack on October 7 – which killed around 1,400 people and 239 hostages.
In the Gaza region, medical authorities have reported that a total of 8,306 individuals, among them 3,457 children, lost their lives in the midst of the three-week-long military campaign involving both aerial and ground operations.
On the recent Monday, the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, conveyed his unwavering determination to continue the offensive in Gaza.
John Kirby, the national security spokesperson for the US, mentioned that at this juncture, a cessation of hostilities would predominantly benefit the Hamas organization.
On Monday, a Palestinian-American lawmaker from Minnesota – Representative Rashida Tlaib, shared a short video on her official handle on X, formerly known as Twitter. Through video, she expressed concerns and called “Israel’s genocidal campaign in Palestine.”
The 90-second video further said, “Don’t count on our vote in 2024.”
Basim Elkarra, executive director of the Sacramento Valley Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), emphasized the significance of Muslim votes in potentially securing President Biden’s reelection in 2024. He highlighted that in the 2020 election, President Biden narrowly clinched Michigan’s 16 electoral votes with just a slim margin of 2.6 percent.
In Minnesota, where President Biden plans to make an appearance this Wednesday, the Muslim-American community has echoed a similar sentiment. They expressed that they have set a deadline for Tuesday at noon and have organized a protest for Wednesday when the President visits their state.
No comment was provided by the reelection campaign of Joe Biden.
According to the White House, Biden hosted a meeting with a few Muslim leaders. He mentioned that he is a “Zionist.”
The reports by Reuters further outlined that Joe Biden has appointed more Arab Americans and Muslims to the political posts; additionally, he was the one who appointed two Muslim federal judges.