Imams Call To “Abandon Harris” As American Election Looms
Bism Allah Al-Rahman Al-Rahim
Seventy Muslim Leaders Join Abandon Harris Movement
A budding movement among American Muslims to punish the Democratic regime of Joseph Biden and Kamala Harris for its support of the Gaza genocide has picked up steam. A month before the election, dozens of Muslim community leaders, imams, and preachers have signed a letter calling on their community to vote for a third-party candidate.
Both American mainstream parties have openly committed to practically unconditional support for Israel, even as it expands a massive conflict throughout the region. In light of this, over seventy noted Muslim leaders have joined the “Abandon Harris” Movement that calls to “save America from committing genocide”.
Biden / Harris’s Failed Promises
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In spite of Biden’s pre-election pledges to restore international institutions, norms, and diplomacy, the administration has flouted the same institutions when it comes to backing the Israeli assault on Gaza. This internationally condemned assault began a year ago this month and has systematically butchered tens of thousands of Palestinians, while simultaneously trying to provoke a regional conflagration with strikes in Iran, Syria, and Yemen. Not to mention a budding invasion of Lebanon.
Biden’s doddering debate performance against his predecessor Donald Trump (2017-21) put paid to his original plan to run for reelection this summer, but his deputy Harris has taken over with a will and doubled down on an often shamelessly one-sided support for Israel. This blind support ranges from publicly haranguing pro-Palestinian protesters to continuing the financial, political, military, and diplomatic blank cheque that Biden gave to Israel’s far-right regime in the genocide.
Even as their top envoy Antony Blinken has scuttled around the region in a show of concern, he has not only supported but actively covered up his own officials’ assessments of Israeli crimes.
Trump Is Even Worse
There can be little expectation that Trump will prove any better; he has mocked his opponents for what he portrays as insufficient commitment to Israel. Indeed his regime was the architect of the disastrous normalization efforts between Israel and various Arab autocracies that paved the way to the genocide. This was indeed one of the rare points of agreement between Biden and Trump in the otherwise cantankerous 2020 campaign.
The Muslim Imams’ letter alludes to Trump’s unabashed Zionism while denouncing his “vile, racist agenda, which includes advancing the apartheid and genocidal interests of a foreign state while falsely claiming to put America first.”
Staring Down Two Monstrous Evils
Trump’s willingness to opportunistically turn on various American minorities, including Muslims, is notorious, but the Abandon Harris campaign, led by Hassan Abdel-Salam, notes that the active genocide of Palestinians has occurred with the indispensable support and under the cover of the same Democratic government that has long portrayed itself as a friend to these communities.
That the Democrats have at least officially toned down the more rancid aspects of Republican majoritarianism has been a key ingredient in attracting support from minority communities and argument in their favour. The signed letter firmly states by contrast:
“We are not choosing between a lesser and greater evil; we are staring down two monstrous evils: one that is currently committing genocide and one which is committed to also continue it.
Both are poised to finish the job.”
Make A Statement By Voting Third Party
Signatories include such well-known teachers as Aisha Adawiya, Tom Facchine, Abdul-Muhaymin Priester, Omar Suleiman, Dawud Walid, Suhaib Webb, and Haifaa Younis. MuslimMatters recently interviewed Imam Priester in a five-part series on Palestine, while others such as Facchine and Suleiman have been vocal over many platforms in their support for Palestine and opposition the genocide.
Though some Muslims have opted not to vote given the duopoly between the Republicans and Democrats, the letter urges them to make clear the genocide’s role in delegitimizing the American duopoly by voting for third parties. “This year, make a statement by voting third party for the presidential ticket. Equally important, vote all the way down the ballot for candidates and policies that stand for truth and justice, ensuring your voice is heard at every level.”
The letter also notes the overt, often officially supported, hostility that Israel and the wider Zionist movement has displayed, particularly over the past year:
“For the past year, we have watched in horror as our brothers and sisters in Palestine are slaughtered in cold blood. We have also witnessed Israeli soldiers destroy mosques, desecrate copies of the Qur’an, and openly insult the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)—all with the full backing, funding, and blessings of the current administration.”
Oppression Operates Beyond Party Lines
It rejects the supporting American regime’s “audacity to demand the Muslim-American community to vote for them to stop a Trump presidency”. The letter notes that along with foreign policy, domestic problems – epitomized by the wanton execution last month of dubiously convicted inmate Khalifa Williams – are not limited to one party: “we understand that the oppressive hand of the state operates beyond party lines.”
“The Democratic Party’s ongoing refusal to show any intention of reform, even as we witness the greatest catastrophe in modern history, along with the Republican promise to only worsen this evil, leaves us no choice but to take this step,” the letter concludes. “We ask Allah to guide us to righteousness, to always stand with the oppressed, and to grant the downtrodden victory over their oppressors wherever they may be. “
The letter is prefaced with the Quranic verse 135 of Surah Nisa, translated:
“O believers! Stand firm for justice as witnesses for Allah even if it is against yourselves, your parents, or close relatives. Whether they are rich or poor, Allah is best to ensure their interests. So do not let your desires cause you to deviate from justice. If you distort the testimony or refuse to give it, then [know that] Allah is certainly All-Aware of what you do.”
[Disclaimer: this opinion article does not reflect the views of MuslimMatters, a non-profit organization that does not endorse candidates and welcomes editorials with diverse political perspectives.]
Related:
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