Muslim Voice
November 2012
www.AZMuslimVoice.com
U.N. investigator calls for boycott of companies linked to Israeli settlements
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In less than a month, millions of Americans will head to the polls and cast their ballot for one of two fundamentally different visions for America, and our higher education system. Will we choose to expand fairness, opportunity and shared responsibility? Or will we opt for harmful spending cuts and tax breaks for the wealthy and reduced investments in education for young Americans? Continued on page
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Syria fighters clash with Kurds
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Vol.19 Issue No.194
SAN FRANCISCO – There are an estimated 8 million Muslim Americans living in the United States, with close to 100,000 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Four years ago, an overwhelming majority of them -- close to 90 percent -- voted for President Obama. But Javed Ali, founder and publisher of Illume Media based the East Bay city of Newark, says that same support may not be there this time around. “They are not as enthusiastic [about Obama],” Ali said. Pointing to disappointment over the president’s policies, he noted many in the community “are feeling a bit disenfranchised ... The drone strikes have intensified, Guantanamo hasn’t been closed yet … so they feel that President Obama has let them down.” Still, despite misgivings, Ali said it’s unlikely Muslim Americans will once again put their support behind the GOP, as they did in the initial weeks and months following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. “Historically … Muslims have aligned themselves with the Republican Party because they felt their values were closely aligned,” Ali explained. “But a change has happened, especially in the post-9/11 world … I don’t think they’re going back to the Republican Party, mainly because it seems like the Republican Party has adopted an agenda that is anti-Muslim.” With disappointment directed at both sides of the political divide, one would expect to see a level of voter apathy among Muslim Americans. But that’s not the case, said Ali, who notes engagement is growing. “We’ve seen … a rise in the level of engagement when it comes to American Muslims, both online and offline,” he said. “There have been debate parties here in San Francisco and cities across the country. Mosques and Muslim organizations have mobilized mosque-goers and the youth.” He admits, though, that some do plan to withhold their vote. But with the race less than two weeks away and most polls showing both candidates running neck and neck, Ali said the Muslim American vote, especially in key swing states, could be critical. Pointing to a recent study on Muslim American political sentiment, he noted there are “about 1.2 million American Muslims who are registered voters,” many of them in battleground states. “We have seen a rise in the level of engagement … I don’t think there’s going to be a lower turnout overall.”
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Muslim Voters Disappointed With Obama, Wary of GOP
The Human Rights Council’s special rapporteur, Richard Falk, urged the international community to boycott 13 companies benefiting from business with Israeli settlements, the United Nations reported on its website on Thursday. “Businesses should not breach international humanitarian law provisions,” Falk said in Continued on page
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