For Muslims, solidarity with Palestine and the Muslim world is an overarching Islamic and ethical imperative. This imperative has influenced American Muslim politics for decades. It may be difficult to imagine now, but in the 2000 presidential election, an estimated 40-70% of American Muslims voted for the Republican nominee, George W. Bush, who narrowly defeated Al Gore.
Bush and his vice president, Dick Cheney, were seen as better for Muslims on domestic and foreign policy than Gore and Lieberman, including their stances on Palestine. Many Muslims celebrated Bush’s win, with some claiming credit for tipping the scale in his favor in the decisive state of Florida, where the margin of victory was a mere 537 votes (.009%).
Perceived triumph quickly turned into a nightmare when just weeks after the events of 9/11, Bush and the Republican party signed the Patriot Act into law. It permitted the government to spy on ordinary Americans by monitoring phone calls, emails, bank and credit records, and track internet activity without reason.
The heightened surveillance laws targeted Muslims, suppressing their civil liberties and right to due process. These dangerous domestic policies were coupled with a disastrous foreign policy. Iraq and Afghanistan were invaded, and hundreds of thousands of innocent Muslims were murdered as a direct result….more
