World Tribune.com
Blanchard

From Hamas-linked Hillary-backer to Bush endorsement, U.S. Muslims made impact

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Wednesday, November 8, 2000

WASHINGTON — Meet Abdul Rahman Alamoudi. He is young, Islamic and outspoken.

Alamoudi is also on the U.S. payroll.

These days, Alamoudi has toured the Gulf for the U.S. government and condemned Israeli policy in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Audiences have reported that Alamoudi — founder of the American Muslim Council — has also praised the Hamas group, which has claimed numerous suicide bombings against Israeli targets.

Pro-Israeli groups are angry but the criticism doesn't bother the Clinton administration. "I'm not sure when the comments were reportedly made, or if we were aware of them," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said. "But certainly that now we're aware of them, that will enter into the evaluation of any future potential as a speaker."

For political analysts, the episode reflects the rising power of Islamic groups in U.S. elections. From being on the fringe of American society, Islamic groups aligned with Hamas and the Lebanese Hizbullah have become an important Middle East lobby and a factor in the U.S. presidential elections, scheduled for Tuesday. Arab Christians complain that Islamic activists have taken over the Arab-American community.

"American Muslims are highly concentrated in the key electoral states in the United States," Richard Curtiss, editor of the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, said. "There are huge numbers of registered Muslim voters in California, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Michigan and Illinois. It may be impossible for any candidate to win those states without the support of the Muslim community."

The American Muslim Council even obtained a fatwa, or religious ruling, as part of its drive to register Muslims to vote for the presidential elections. Some Muslims argued against voter registration, saying it was useless and only divide the community.

American Muslims have been active in protesting the Israeli mini-war with the Palestinians. Last month, about 15,000 Muslims gathered in Washington for a demonstration at the White House. Earlier, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, an Islamic advocacy group, held a seminar in Washington on political lobbying as many delegates were sponsored by mosques around the country.

"Our government has the political and financial leverage necessary to help stop the killing of Palestinian civilians," said Omar Ahmad, board chairman of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. "Now is the time to use that leverage."

Islamic groups have made their biggest gains during the eight years of the Clinton administration. More than any of its predecessors, the administration has reached out to Islamic groups. Muslim holidays were noted by the White House, administration spokespeople addressed Islamic groups in Washington and Chicago and supporters were given plum jobs.

The Congress followed. In July, the Senate passed unanimously a resolution that recognized the significant contributions of more than 6 million Muslims in the United States. Earlier, three U.S. senators and about 40 House members attended a dinner by the American Muslim Council.

Take Alamoudi. The State Department chose him as a speaker and sent him abroad after Alamoudi donated money to the campaign of President Bill Clinton. Critics said he was kept as a speaker even when he was found to have been linked to Hamas, on the State Department list of terrorist organizations. Alamoudi said he opposes all sorts of terrorism.

In the end, Alamoudi's contributions were returned as officials scrambled for an explanation. "In evaluating this person or any person as a potential speaker," Boucher said last week, "we would look at the views that they had expressed and decide whether, in light of those views, we felt the person could be an honest discussant of the situation in the United States and, to the extent necessary, U.S. policy."

Still, Muslims appear to favor George W. Bush over Al Gore for presidency. Last month, the American Muslim Political Coordinating Council PAC announced its support for Bush and criticized what it termed was the Clinton administration's support of the government's use of secret evidence against Arab and Muslim immigrants.

On the other hand, Bush mentioned Arab Americans during a debate with Gore.

"Bush appears to be doing better right now, not only in our polling of Arab Americans but also in terms of discussions among Arab Americans," pollster John Zogby said.

Hillary Clinton's race for the U.S. Senate in New York has only brought more Arab-Americans to Bush. Zogby points to Ms. Clinton's decision to return more than $50,000 in donations by American Islamic organizations after her opponent said the money came from Hamas.

Quietly, Arab-Americans are criticizing the Islamic dominance in the elections. They refer to Alamoudi. After Ms. Clinton returned his campaign contribution, Alamoudi attended a Washington rally and announced that he was a supporter of Hamas and Hizbullah.

Then, Alamoudi said all Muslims support these organization. The largely Muslim crowd cheered.

You don't do this," said Jim Zogby, responsible for the ethnic vote in the Gore campaign. "I always learned one thing and the Jews taught us this well. When you are the victim, play the victim; it is good to be the victim, because then people sympathize with you."

Wednesday, November 8, 2000


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