Kamala Harris has a Muslim Voter Problem that Could Cost the Election

MILWAUKEE – For Abdulhamid Ali and many Muslim American voters in swing state Wisconsin, the choice in the upcoming presidential election isn’t clear. Two months away from one of the most significant presidential elections in US history, Vice President Kamala Harris needs to convince Ali that she’ll help create an independent Palestinian state and end Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.

Every vote matters in Wisconsin, which was decided in 2020 by a slim 20,000 votes. Even though Ali backed President Joe Biden against former President Donald Trump four years ago, Harris cannot be certain she will get his vote this time. Wisconsin is home to approximately 40,000 Muslim voters, posing a significant influence on the outcome of the election.

Despite leading the polls against Green Party nominee Jill Stein among all registered voters in Wisconsin, Harris trails Stein among Muslim voters in critical states like Wisconsin, Arizona, and Michigan. While Stein has taken a firm stance in ending the war in Gaza, Harris’s stance leaves voters like Ali skeptical.

Demands for an Autonomous Palestinian State

Ali, who emigrated from Somalia in 1980 and has voted in every US election since, accuses Harris of giving little more than “lip service” to Muslim Americans demanding an enduring ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and an embargo of US weapons to Israel. “I want to see a concrete plan,” Ali insists. Unless he sees a solid plan for creating a free and democratic Palestinian state, Ali plans to abstain from voting in the presidential election, a sentiment echoed by many Muslim voters in Wisconsin.

Green Party nominee Jill Stein’s explicit pledge to end the “genocidal war” in Gaza has attracted Muslim voters like Farhat Khan. Though certain she will not make it to the White House, Khan and others are turning their votes towards Stein as a form of protest. They hope this can serve as a lesson for the Democrats – that they can’t ignore the needs of the growing Muslim American community.

Demands for an End to Islamophobia

Voters like Maqsood Khan, president of the Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance, criticizes Harris not just for her stance on the Middle East, but also for not forcefully denouncing Islamophobia. He argues that the only way forward is through diplomacy and respect for human life. His concerns are shared by the larger Muslim American community, demanding stronger commitment from Harris towards ending Islamophobia and conflict in the Middle East.

On the contrary, Harris’s campaign insists she supports Israel’s right to defend itself but acknowledges that “far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed”. While pledging her commitment to working towards a ceasefire and a two-state solution, she’s yet to convince her detractors.

The Cost of Ignoring Concerns

Othman Atta, Executive Director of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s most extensive Islamic organization, observes many local Muslim voters are “very upset” by the ongoing US-backed Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, driving some towards the Green party. The sentiment towards voting for the ‘lesser of two evils’ is becoming increasingly unacceptable among Muslim communities in Wisconsin.

Given the slim margin of victory in the previous election, the crumbling support from the Muslim American community for Harris could have substantial consequences in the upcoming election. It serves as a reminder that every voice matters in shaping the results of a democratic election and that no community’s concerns should be taken lightly.