Arab and Muslim Americans Withhold Support for Biden Over Gaza War Stance

Numerous Arab American and Muslim voters who have communicated with CNN have expressed their reluctance to support President Joe Biden’s reelection, citing his staunch support for Israel and his lack of initiative in advocating for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

In the previous presidential election, Biden garnered support from various Muslim American leaders and community figures. However, this time, there’s a notable shift in sentiment, with many expressing skepticism and frustration.

Khalid Turaani, a 57-year-old consultant in Michigan and co-chair of the state’s Abandon Biden movement, stated emphatically that he would not vote for Biden. Turaani criticizes Biden’s role in the conflict in Gaza, saying, “I believe that his complicity and his active participation in the genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza disqualify him from my vote.”

The Abandon Biden campaign originated in Minnesota after a group of Muslim Americans insisted that Biden advocate for a ceasefire by October 31. When Biden failed to support a permanent end to the hostilities, the group committed to opposing his campaign.

An analysis by Emgage revealed that out of the 200,000 Muslim American voters in Michigan, at least 146,620 participated in the 2020 election. Biden’s victory in Michigan was by three percentage points over Trump, a significant contrast to Trump’s narrow win over Clinton by 0.2 percentage points in the previous election.

Ariana Afshar, a 27-year-old content creator from California, expressed her disillusionment, saying, “I feel used as a Muslim voter. He used people like myself in order to get elected and is now doing whatever serves him in his position.”