Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Year : 2, Issue : 13
American Muslims often feel unwelcome in the Democratic party, as they believe other minority groups in the US have similar experiences. The party’s centrist, status-quo tendencies, particularly since the Clinton administration, have caused harm as the state remains unresponsive to their demands for justice.
Joe Biden’s association with Zionism raised concerns about his support for the policies of apartheid, which aimed to establish Jewish dominance over Palestinians. Zionism is not a worldview for millions of Palestinians, including Muslims, and it fails to defend ethnic cleansing, occupation, and legal inequity. Biden’s association with Zionism implicitly endorses these policies, creating a state with a Jewish majority exclusively for Jews.
Muslims, like many progressive minorities in the Democratic party, faced an uncomfortable compromise due to the party’s support for the Iraq War. Supporting Joe Biden was made more difficult by the party’s support for the war. Biden, who led the discussion on the best course of action with Iraq, was frequently quoted in the news and gave multiple speeches on the Senate floor, highlighting the moral dilemma faced by many voters.
Biden, Sept. 3: I let my record stand. I think my record has been good. I think the vast majority of the foreign policy community thinks it’s been very good. For example, I got a commitment from President Bush he was not going to go to war in Iraq. He looked me in the eye in the Oval Office; he said he needed the vote to be able to get inspectors into Iraq to determine whether or not Saddam Hussein was engaged in dealing with a nuclear program. He got them in, and before we know it, we had a shock and awe. Immediately, the moment it started, I came out against the war at that moment. Now, the judgment of my trusting the president to keep his word on something like that, that was a mistake. And I apologize for that[1].Only the word apology will not return the millions of dead to their to victims. Now the victim’s eyes tears dried out but the atrocity and hostilities remain in every Muslim’s heart.
The standard defense offered progressives for voting Democratic is this: You must support the underprivileged, combat inequality, and advance racial justice, climate justice, reproductive rights, and fundamental democracy; there is only one party in Washington prepared to contribute to these objectives. Recent Democrat shortcomings, such as excessive corporatism, an institutional bias toward Israel, and a neo-colonialist foreign policy and hypocritic rule-based order you should not vote for a Democrat. The traditional line advising progressives to support the Democrats is as follows: Despite the Democrats’ shortcomings, which include excessive corporatism, an institutional affinity for Israel, a neoliberal foreign policy, and an unwillingness or inability to tax the wealthy, you should vote for the Democrats because you must help the poor, fight inequality, and work for climate justice, racial justice, reproductive rights, and basic democracy. This is just a smoking screen they try us to believe. This is what Democrats sold to us minority Muslims for decades.
Five months ago, Muslims experienced a significant change due to the genocide in Gaza, the disappearance of their neighborhoods, and the dehumanization they faced. The blackness of Gaza has further heightened their fear and cynicism. Not only that but while Houthis are supporting Palestine, they are under attack by the US-led coalition neither any diplomacy nor through UNSC resolution. This is the rule-based order the US tried to establish and kill innocent Muslims around the world.
President Biden has provided $14 billion worth of weapons for Israel, posing a threat to Palestinians. He has vetoed a cease-fire resolution three times and abstained from voting in UNSC resolutions. This is merely a political game that aims to regain Muslim support to re-elect for the next term. As Muslims, we do not want any lives to be lost and it is against the Quran. Not only Muslims but the world will never forget the 32,000 deaths compared to the 12 hundred. Where is the rule-based order other than hypocrisy?
Compromise is essential for democracy, but it’s crucial to establish ethical boundaries. The Gaza Strip’s tragedy highlights this, not to vote for Biden or Trump, and find a third party to break two-party hegemony.
