Been thinking about Obama and McCain and was wondering where Muslims stood on the outcome of the US Presidential election.

Whom do they want to win and why?

Here's link that was sent to me.

http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1225697868608&pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout

Obama or McCain: Muslim Voters
By  Zeyad Maasarani, Mukhtar A. Khan, IOL Correspondents

WASHINGTON — Hours before the opening of America's historic White House elections, IslamOnline.net correspondents interviewed American Muslims in different states.

We asked if they would be casting their ballot, their favorite candidate, the basis for their election choice, candidates' stances on Islam, and whether America is ready for a Muslim president.


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I favor Obama over John McCain and think that Barack Obama is a Muslim.

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There are at least 6-7 million Muslims in the US and I'm sure they can make a difference in swing states like Virginia, Ohio, Florida, Michigan, Missouri and Pennsylvania.

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If Obama wins, it will stamp the American democracy as the World No.1 democracy, and then anybody, even a Muslim, can expect to become the president of this sole World Super Power.

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I am voting as an Arab American, a Muslim, a citizen and a participant of this democratic nation that we live in. As a field organizer with the Yalla Vote campaign I advocate the importance of voting and I reiterate that voting is very important for  several key reasons. As Arab Americans we need to vote because more so than ever this election will determine many important issues for us such as our civil liberties, the Iraq war, our economy, etc.  It is also important since we live in a democratic nation that we exercise our rights as active participants. For Arab Americans its important to go and show that we are an important factor for the candidates, by voting.  Power is in numbers and the only way to achieve that is through voicing our opinion.

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I think it was a wise strategy that Obama didn’t visit any mosque during his election campaign. If he had, there would have been an unending controversy labeling Obama as Muslim and endangering his vote bank with fear mongering of Islamophobia. When there were some rumors that he is a Muslim, his popularity graph had gone downward in the survey polls.

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The Republican and not the Democratic Party has been pro-Muslim countries. I cannot see any reason why the majority of Muslims in the US is backing Obama, though Obama has always resisted the Muslim identity and never visited or approached any mosque.

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However, I don’t always agree with the candidates.  Barack Obama is for gay marriage, but I’m not, so I’m voting yes on Prop. 8 [to only allow traditional marriage].  Obama just tries to please everybody.

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The Greater Los Angeles Area chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today(Oct 17, 2008) announced a number of initiatives to help mobilize the Muslim vote across Southern California.

link


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1. Encourage Sermons on Voting: CAIR has called on mosques in the Southland to dedicate sermons to the American Muslim obligation to participate fully in the political process and to help bring about positive social change. CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush will give a sermon on the significance of voting Friday, October 17, at the Islamic Institute of Orange County, 1220 N. State College Boulevard, Anaheim. The sermon will be followed by a short address by Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Congress. 2. Sponsor Voter Registration Booths: CAIR-LA representatives have set up booths at Muslim-owned businesses and Islamic Centers to register citizens to vote in this year's election. 3. Sponsor Political Empowerment Workshops: CAIR-LA Government Relations Coordinator Sharaf Mowjood has organized a number of workshops in the Inland Empire, Orange County and other areas to educate Muslims about the political process, voting and relevant local and national issues. 4. Release of 2008 Congressional Scorecard & Ballot Recommendations: The 2008 CAIR Congressional Scorecard is a non-partisan document aimed at educating citizens about the voting record of their congressional representatives on matters of interest to the Muslim community. Additionally, CAIR's election website presents information on various California ballot measures. SEE: http://www.cair2008election.com/pdf/bal-scorecard.pdf 5. Comprehensive Election Website: A comprehensive election website was launched to empower American Muslim participation this election cycle. The site offers insights into election developments that concern America's Muslims and helps keep them informed about how Muslims are participating in the election. To view the Web site, go to: http://www.cair2008election.com/news.php

But whom are they going to vote for and why?
Do they have a particular preference and why?

It will be interesting to see how well that works, given the anti-democratic doctrine of Islam.

http://www.analyst-network.com/article.php?art_id=2504


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according to Middle East expert and political analyst Dr. Walid Phares – is that the majority of Arab Muslims will probably vote for Sen. Barack Obama, whereas an “overwhelming majority” of Middle Eastern Christians – including a minority of Muslim reformers – will cast votes for Sen. John McCain. ... There are approximately six-million or seven-million Americans of Middle Eastern descent. These numbers include large communities of Arabs, Iranians, Turks, as well as Lebanese, Copts, Assyrian-Chaldeans from Iraq and others. The possible voting bloc might realistically be around one-million which is an important number in this election. ... the majority of Middle Eastern Americans – particularly Arab-Americans – are Christians. About 76 percent of all Americans from Middle Eastern descent are Christians whose ancestral roots hail from populations, which have historically been persecuted in their countries of origin. ... Among the Arab Muslim voting bloc – which is 24 percent or more of all Middle Eastern Americans – the segments of voters who favor attitudes in the region opposed to U.S. policy and the war on terror, will vote for Sen. Obama. ... However, a significant number from the Arab Muslim voting bloc who are opposed to oppressive regimes in the region, such as Syrian-Americans, Iranian-Americans, and Black Africans from Darfur will most likely vote for Sen. McCain as they are opposed to the ‘cutting of deals’ with oppressive regimes in the region. Within the aforementioned 76 percent of the Christian Middle Eastern vote, a large majority will be voting for Sen. McCain. ... Many Arab and Muslim American organizations have been preparing for this showdown for more than a year now. The Obama campaign has a solid outreach effort targeting these organizations, many of which have a strategic interest in a massive change in U.S. foreign policy toward the region. ...