Republican Muslim Coalition

Last updated

Republican Muslim Coalition
Formation2012;13 years ago (2012)
Founder Saba Ahmed
Legal status 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization
PurposeMuslim activism
Region served
United States
President
 Saba Ahmed
Website Official website

The Republican Muslim Coalition (RMC), is an American Muslim political advocacy group established in 2012. [1] RMC works to build ties between the American Muslim community and the Republican Party in the United States and elevate American Muslim voices in American Politics. [2] The founder and president of RMC is lawyer Saba Ahmed. [3]

Contents

History

The founder and president of RMC, Saba Ahmed, left the Democratic Party in 2011. [3] She has stated that she started the Republican Muslim Coalition in 2012 after finding that many of her views, such as her stance against abortion rights and her support for low taxes, were consistent with the "traditional" Republican platforms. [1] At the same time, she has acknowledged the challenge of Islamophobia within the Republican Party. [1]

In 2015, the RMC called for tougher action against the Islamic State following the November 2015 Paris attacks, insisting that the group did not represent Islam. [4] Following President Donald Trump's proposal for a "total and complete shutdown" of Muslims entering the United States, Ahmed challenged Trump to attend an Islamic prayer service at a mosque. [5]

In 2016, Ahmed urged Muslim Americans to vote Republican. [3] In 2017, she said she was "deeply hurt by Donald Trump's ignorant views of Islam." [6]

Political context

George W. Bush presidency

Six days after the September 11 attacks, President Bush made a public appearance at Washington, D.C.'s largest Islamic Center where he acknowledged the "incredibly valuable contribution" of American Muslims and called for them "to be treated with respect". [7] Numerous incidents of harassment and hate crimes against Muslims and South Asians were reported in the days following the attacks. [8] [9] [10] On national television, Bush quoted from the Qur'an and worked to assure Americans that the vast majority of Muslims are peaceful. [11]

President George W. Bush at the Islamic Center of Washington, D.C. Bush Islamic Center Washington.jpg
President George W. Bush at the Islamic Center of Washington, D.C.

Trump presidency

During the 2024 United States presidential election, Donald Trump reached out to Muslim and Arab-American communities in Michigan as part of his bid for re-election as president of the United States. A major motive for Michigan's Muslim leaders to endorse Trump was his commitment to bring peace to the Middle East, particularly in Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, and the Palestinian territories of West Bank and East Jerusalem. [12]

Republican Muslim vote

In the 2000 Presidential election, 78 percent of Muslim Americans supported Republican candidate George W. Bush over Democratic candidate Al Gore. [13] However, due to the wars that took place in Afghanistan and in Iraq, and due to what has been perceived as increased anti-Muslim rhetoric from the Republican Party after the September 11 attacks, [14] [15] support for the Republican Party among American Muslims has declined sharply.

By 2004, Bush's Muslim support had been reduced to under 1%, and Democratic candidate John Kerry's support rose to 93%, with 5% voting for Ralph Nader. [16] [17]

According to a 2018 poll from the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, American Muslims were as satisfied with the American trajectory as the general public, reporting at around 27%. Regarding the 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump, Muslims are the least likely to approve of him across all faith groups including non affiliated Americans. This is particularly due to the deeply unpopular policies like recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the Muslim travel ban (Executive order 13769). [18]

During the 2024 United States presidential election, An August 2024 survey published by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) found that in Michigan, 40 percent of Muslim voters supported Stein, 18% supported Trump and 12% supported Harris. [19] In CAIR's exit poll, published on November 8th, 53% of Muslims voted for the Green Party candidate, Jill Stein. Only 20% of Muslims voted for Harris and only 21% voted for Trump. [20]

Republican Muslim vote by presidential election
Election yearRepublican
2000 78%
2004 <1%
2008 2%
2012 4%
2016 13%
2020 19%
2024 21%

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Shamsian, Jacob; Nigh, Ben (December 5, 2015). "This is why this Muslim woman is a proud Republican". Business Insider . Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Republican Muslim Coalition". Republican Muslim Coalition. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 "Saba Ahmed: Urging US Muslims to vote Republican". Al Jazeera. February 5, 2016. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  4. ↑ Elmasry, Faiza (November 16, 2015). "Muslim American Leader Condemns Paris Terrorist Attack". Voice of America News . ProQuest   1733630975 . Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  5. ↑ Goldmacher, Shane (December 11, 2015). "Republican Muslim Coalition founder to Trump: Come to a mosque with me". Politico . Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Republican Muslim Leader Wants Trump To Address Religious Prejudice". National Public Radio. February 28, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  7. ↑ Freedman, Samuel G. (September 7, 2012). "Six Days After 9/11, Another Anniversary Worth Honoring". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 6, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  8. ↑ "New York City Commission on Human Rights". Archived from the original on February 3, 2004. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Post-9/11, US policies created atmosphere of fear for South Asians". The Indian Express. August 25, 2011. Archived from the original on May 26, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2011.
  10. ↑ "Hate crime reports up in wake of terrorist attacks". CNN. September 17, 2001. Archived from the original on November 27, 2005. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  11. ↑ ""Islam is Peace" Says President". georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov.
  12. ↑ Warikoo, Niraj. "Trump, Harris vie for Arab American, Muslim votes in Michigan as Yemenis gain spotlight". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Survey Shows Bush Support Drops Among Muslim Voters".
  14. ↑ "Muslims in America 2012 – Who Will They Vote For? | Azeem Ibrahim". HuffPost . February 2012. Archived from the original on November 11, 2014. Retrieved September 24, 2014. Muslims in America 2012 – Who Will They Vote For?
  15. ↑ "After 11 years". Archived from the original on November 12, 2014. Retrieved September 24, 2014. American Muslims remain in the dock 11 years after 9/11 by Abdus Sattar Ghazali
  16. ↑ Sealey, Geraldine (November 3, 2004). "Muslims abandon Bush for Kerry – and prefer Nader, even". Salon. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Election Watch: 2004 Election Sees Second American-Muslim Bloc Vote – 2005 January–February". WRMEA. February 26, 2021. Archived from the original on February 26, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  18. ↑
  19. ↑ "Muslim Americans moving to anti-Israel Jill Stein in potential blow to Kamala Harris". Times of Israel. September 19, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  20. ↑ Allison, Ismail (November 8, 2024). "CAIR Exit Poll of Muslim Voters Reveals Surge in Support for Jill Stein and Donald Trump, Steep Decline for Harris". CAIR.
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