|
Radio Free Europe - 28 July 2004
Arabs, Muslims seek a voice at Democratic Convention
Robert McMahon
Arab- and Muslim-Americans constitute a small but potentially influential electoral bloc in this year's U.S. presidential elections. They are clearly a more visible presence at the Democratic National Convention in Boston than in past party gatherings. But they appear to be more galvanized against Republican President George W. Bush than demonstrably for the policies espoused by presumptive Democratic Party candidate John Kerry.
Boston, 28 July 2004 -- The first time Maya Berry attended a national convention of the Democratic Party 12 years ago, she carried a banner proclaiming the right of Palestinians to self-determination. That earned Berry, an Arab-Muslim American, the close surveillance of convention security guards and, she says, a sense of alienation from fellow delegates:
"When I was here in 1992, I was certainly much younger and less seasoned politically," Berry said. "But at the same time, I felt considerably isolated in terms of being Arab-American at the convention. It just was very different than it is now."
At this year's convention, support of Palestinian statehood is part of the Democrats' platform for the first time. Arab-Americans are now an established ethnic caucus of the party, with 43 delegates attending the convention. They are seen as an influential voting bloc in several key states where President Bush and Senator Kerry are close in opinion polls.
Berry, a delegate from Michigan, says there is much more inclusiveness of Arab-Americans this year than in past conventions. But the party must work hard, she said, to attract a loyal voting bloc in key states where many ethnic Arabs live, such as Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Florida.
There are more than 2 million Muslims eligible to vote in the United States, but only about 57 percent of them are registered.
http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2004/07/116b7a8e-e516-4aa7-9915-71549e9147da.html
|
