Are Arabs in Michigan really prepared to hand the presidency back to Donald Trump? In a word: yes.

[Coventina]

With its rich, dark wood, golden décor, and an invigorating oud musk, the American Moslem Society on the south end of Dearborn, Michigan, masks its age well. Opened in 1937, it was the first mosque in America to broadcast the call to prayer through loudspeakers. It was founded by Arab immigrants who had initially been drawn by the promise of $5-a-day jobs at a nearby Ford plant, which laid the foundation for what is now America’s largest concentration of Arab Americans.

On a recent Friday there, an imam clad in a traditional white thobe and kufi delivered his sermon. Several hundred worshippers sat on the blue-patterned carpet stretching across the space and listened attentively as the imam evoked scenes of devastation from Israel’s relentless bombardment of Gaza. “True attachment to Allah is demonstrated beautifully by our brothers and sisters in Palestine and in Gaza,” he said. “When they see the dead bodies of family members and they are asked what their message is to the world, they reply, ‘We Belong to Allah, and to him we shall return.’ They know that whoever is truthful with Allah, Allah will never abandon them, even if they are betrayed by all of creation.”

The room was heavy, and clearly emotional. After the prayer, as people retrieved their shoes at the entrance, I overheard discussions of the bombardment of Gaza. I saw people scrolling for news, after earlier reports that Gazans scrambling for aid were shot by the Israeli military. When I spoke to the people around me, it was clear whom they blamed.

“If it came down to Trump and Joe Biden, I will vote for Trump. Because it doesn’t get worse than Joe Biden,” a man named Salah told me. His friend, Amad, added, “Biden was supposed to be the peacemaker. The comfort-maker. Instead, he became accessory to the biggest genocide in modern history.”

https://slate.com/human-interest/2024/04/donald-trump-joe-biden-2024-election-michigan-muslims.html

*****************************************************************************

And there you have it.
These folks are actually working for Trump.
At least we know who the enemy is.

[brush]

1. We shall see if they're that stupid. I don't know if they have as much leverage as they think they do.

[LiberalFighter]

94. I question whether the reporter selectively selected someone to interview.

Like someone at MSNBC did in Wisconsin with black young men at a barbershop.

[brush]

108. Agree. I saw that barbershop interview also.

[LexVegas]

2. I don't think they vote Democratic anyway. nt

[LymphocyteLover]

64. it's a broad diverse group but they vote more Dem than GOP

[RAB910]

3. I think this is where the dirty right-wing dark money is being spent

[Deep State Witch]

4. When All Of The Members Of Their Mosque Get Deported

By Trump, I wonder if he'll regret his vote?

[LearnedHand]

83. Having Arab ancestry is not necessarily equal to being a non-citizen

[Deep State Witch]

88. You and I know that

But I don't think that DHS under Smelvis will care.

[LeftInTX]

103. Well his attorney is Arab.

So is Darrell Issa and the Sununu family.

Alina's parents are from Iraq.


Issa and Sununus have been here for several generations.

[wnylib]

89. I wonder if any of them remember, or even know, that

when Trump issued his Muslim ban, stranding several Muslim immigrants at airports, a Democratic Jewish Senator, Chuck Schumer, rushed to the airport to assist the stranded people with legal help and finding accommodations.

If they think that Trump would be better than Biden, they are fooling themselves. As my late mother would say, "They are cutting off their noses to spite their faces."

[atreides1]

5. Okay

Nothing like cutting off your nose to spite your face...or putting someone in the White House who will get laws passed to deport you back to whatever "shit hole" country he thinks you belong in!

I find it funny, that Jews, Christians, and Muslims all believe that God will never abandon them even if the world betrays them!

And yet they fight amongst themselves, believing that God is backing them against the other two...

[Marcus IM]

10. It's much like corporate. Throwing shade and lies upon the competition.

It's what we do.

[ripcord]

6. Palestine will fare so much better under Trump

[Lonestarblue]

19. Trump will hand Palestinians and their land to Bibi in a heartbeat.

I’m really suspicious that Jared Kushner already has a plan with Bibi to develop luxury condos and golf courses along Gaza’s waterfront. Why else would Kushner insert himself into this discussion by tweeting about Gaza’s valuable waterfront property that can be developed “once the civilians are cleared out.” Those civilians are the Palestinians being murdered by the IDF and Trump would not lift a finder to help even one Palestinian.

[B.See]

81. Quite true. Ask the KURDS. n/t

[Aristus]

7. I guess their strict moral code makes allowances for sleazy skunks like Trump.

The rationalization is getting deep...

[JohnSJ]

8. They sure did in 2000, thinking that GWB would favor them.

[Turbineguy]

9. Sounds like the Palestinian approach to problem solving.

List a range of options for an outcome. Pick the option that will give you the worst results.

[LeftInTX]

14. Really..."We like to lose. We like to lose. We win with losing"

[Turbineguy]

21. Like throwing the wheelchair-bound Klinghoffer

over the side of the Achille Lauro

[obamanut2012]

39. Wow

You do not even get how what you wrote is bigoted. Replace "Palestinians" with "Jews," "Blacks," "Women," etc. This is no different.

[LeftInTX]

42. Arabs boycotting elections in Israel is how Netanyahu got in office.

The Arabs were mad at Shimon Peres because of an Israeli bomb that killed civilians in Lebanon. They wanted to "teach Peres a lesson". It didn't teach Peres anything. It gave everyone Netanyahu in 1996. He's been there since and things have only gotten worse.

[Big Blue Marble]

79. That statement sounds racist.

[Turbineguy]

92. Sorry, it was not meant to be racist.

I was thinking of a group of people who are in the here and now with a 60 year history of making bad choices.

[Big Blue Marble]

96. Thanks for the apology, yet...

What you are say about the Palestinians is still sounding racist. You
may not realize that, but Palestinians are many different
people with different life experiences. To say that are all making
poor decisions really sounds like prejudice and blaming the victim.

You would never say that about Black People or LGBTQ People.
It is just as off-putting to say that about all Palestinians. It might help
to study the challenges and stresses Palestinians have faced everyday for over 50
years and how limited their choices have been.

[Prairie Gates]

11. Policies have consequences

If you ignore the demands of a key voting bloc in a key area in an election, that's not going to be good for you. This is the basis of democracy.

You of course get to try to convince people that the other candidate's policies will be far, far worse. It's a tough case to make when people's relatives are dying by the score.

[JohnSJ]

13. of course conveniently ignoring who started October 7 knowing full well there would be a significant

response.

Jared Kushner I am sure is ready to jump right in to help them out if trump regains the WH.



"Islam is the third largest religion in the United States (1%), behind Christianity (63%) and Judaism (2%), and equaling the shares of Buddhism and Hinduism. A 2017 study estimated that 1.1% (or 3.45 million Americans) of the population of the United States are Muslim."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_the_United_States#:~:text=Islam%20is%20the%20third%20largest,the%20United%20States%20are%20Muslim.

[Prairie Gates]

20. Yes, that's a reasonable calculation

They're dumb and don't know how to plan, and there's not enough of them anyway.

It's a prefectly reasonable calculation. We'll see if it works.

[JohnSJ]

25. Not dumb, but emotionally guided, which is what you implied in your original comment. I don't think the

U.S. Jews or Muslims will determine the election, but the U.S. Christians, and agnostics:


"According to the new set of data, 28% of Americans classify themselves as "nones," 17% of whom identify as atheist, 20% as agnostic and 63% as "nothing in particular." Most "nones" said they were raised to be religious, and the majority were raised in Christian households."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/religious-nones-more-than-1-in-4-u-s-adults-pew-research-center-report/

[Prairie Gates]

28. Well

Many policy positions are emotionally guided. Like, having your relatives blown up indiscriminately is emotionally taxing, after all.

In any case, if they'll have no effect, then there's nothing to worry about, and the Democrats will have made a smart choice to essentially scuttle this demographic in this location rather than seeking to work with them.

[JohnSJ]

29. I corrected my incorrect sentencing, which you translated properly. +++

[shrike3]

50. No one said anything about scuttling a demographic.

But it sounds like this group in particular has already made its mind and there'd be little we dan do to win them back. Short of waving a magic wand, nothing the Biden administration would be good enough.

[yardwork]

37. Biden is not ignoring the Palestinian side.

It's a complicated situation.

[Big Blue Marble]

82. It may not feel that way to you.

They are clearly feeling abandoned and they are they ones
who have far more impact than the average voter in the election
results due to their concentration in the Detroit area.

They have lost trust. Once lost, trust is hard to get back.
Hopefully, a permanent ceasefire will start to rebuild that trust.
If it happens, Biden will be mostly responsible and therefore save his
presidency.

[Demsrule86]

85. We can't make Israel or Hamas do shit. And I for one think we win Michigan. We just

won two specials.

[Big Blue Marble]

97. We are talking about a state-wide election

in a state that was very close in the last two PE and will again be pivotable.
I hope we can hold the state without the Arab vote, but if we, do it will
be much harder, especially if they actually vote for Trump. It is dicy at best.

And you sell Biden short; he is working night and day to get a cease-fire.
He does have significant influence with Israel and with the Arab States who have
influence with Hamas. I think we are the closest we have been to a
cease-fire. And that will help with the Arab support.

[Demsrule86]

84. We just won two specials in Michchigan to take the legislature...I think we will be fine.

[MichMan]

86. Neither one in the districts with large Arabic population

[wnylib]

90. So what percentage of Michigan's registered voters are Arabs?

Enough to give the state's electoral votes to Trump?

[LeftInTX]

93. Yes, enough (I can't remember the numbers, but it was enough)

[shrike3]

101. 211,405. 3.1 percent of the population.

[Prairie Gates]

100. Good, then

Tell the OP, who seems worried.

[LeftInTX]

12. There will need to be a reset with Hagee in order for Trump to pander...

Maybe there will be a silly Trump sheikh meme....

Just like "Emperor God Trump", Trump will push a stupid sheikh meme.

Trust me, Trump will pander to them...

[JohnSJ]

18. It will be interesting. Will his Evangelists support trump if he starts pandering to U.S. Muslims?

[LeftInTX]

24. Well, if Hagee switches gears to an Abrahamic trifecta, who knows?

[Takket]

15. Did we lose the self delete button?

No text

[Takket]

16. Unreal

Being mad at Biden, I get why they feel that way

Thinking drumpf will make it better for them, this I cannot comprehend. I don’t know where they get that from. Drumpf will literally deport them.

[LeftInTX]

17. They're US citizens and cannot be deported.

Trump will empower Israel more.

They're saying if Trump empowers Israel, they will get Dems to push back for them.

[dsc]

23. Actually a bunch of Haitians in the Dominican Republic thought that too

and ask them how that worked out for them. He is on the record, repeatedly, saying that birthright citizenship shouldn't be a thing and won't be if he has anything to say about it. I, for one, won't lift a GD finger to help them if they help vote him in.

[LeftInTX]

26. The constitution would need to be changed. It's not gonna happen.

I won't help them either.
Biden is working for peace and threading a difficult needle.

Maybe they figure "Trump will burn it all down and it will spurn the rest of the world to take arms against Israel" (Who knows)

[maxrandb]

47. What Constitution?

That document won't be worth the paper it's written in if that asspickle gets back in office.

[Happy Hoosier]

67. That's adorable!

You think Trump will give two shits about the Constitution?

[harumph]

69. The Constitution?

Not the mighty Constitution!!!! Oh for sure, that'll stop them.

[Quanto Magnus]

62. Do you really think that would stop tRump.....

given he's said he'd be dictator on day one?


He'll just couch the deportation as an official act. The Supreme Court has made it clear they're going to make it easier for tRump to commit crimes while in office.

[NickB79]

73. If Donald "Dictator for One Day" Trump gets re-elected, and the USSC has his back

Immigrants with US citizenship papers can use them to wipe their asses as they're being held in deportation camps, because that's all they'll be good for.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2023/12/11/donald-trump-dictator-one-day-reelected/71880010007/

[wnylib]

91. If they vote for Trump in MI and other states, giving him the WH, ,

let them handle the consequences themselves. The rest of us will be too busy handling the effect on our lives to come to their aid.

[JohnSJ]

27. If they didn't vote or voted third party it might make sense, but voting for trump makes no sense

[Happy Hoosier]

22. Absolutely delusional.

Biggest genocide in modern history?

800,000 civilians died in the Rwanda genocide in the 90's

[CincyDem]

33. Right. And WW2 is still modern history.

Ask survivors…30,000 was 3 days work. But yeah…go ahead and vote for Trump because you’re in a snit that Biden isn’t jumping to attention on your private personal issue. I’m sure Trump will see it your way.

[Happy Hoosier]

34. Absolutely....

Just infuriating.

Don't get me wrong. I think Israel is fucking this up in spectacular ways, but.....

[Think. Again.]

30. Their position doesn't make sense to me...

...I understood how the primary was safely used to send a clear message about their concerns, but there isn't any way they could actually think trump would be a better choice for their cause.

[LeftInTX]

32. There's alot of testosterone floating around

Creates anger, creates more anger...lather, rinse, repeat.

[Think. Again.]

38. I suspect it is a more emotional reaction...

...to try to hurt Biden in revenge, rather than a well thought out response to the choice between Biden or trump.

[cloudbase]

31. The textbook definition of a pyrrhic victory.

[ismnotwasm]

35. "The biggest genocide in modern history"

[Mad_Machine76]

36. Anybody who thinks it can't get worse than Biden

is truly delusional

[Vinca]

40. Oh, Salah, it can get much, much worse than anything you've experienced under Joe Biden.

A million dead Covid victims wasn't enough for you last time?

[ITAL]

41. I told people this awhile ago

I've been reading some highly emotional posts from some American Arabs on another board I follow for months now (it's not a political messageboard site, but they have an off topic section where politics is allowed). Even when someone might point out they could be deported in a Trump administration, they don't care because they say they'll just go to Canada or something instead.

[LeftInTX]

44. All the ones who vote are US citizens. US citizens aren't going to be deported.

You can deport naturalized citizens, but only under grave circumstances.

[ITAL]

45. Yes, as of now

With Project 2025, Trump may attempt it though.

[LeftInTX]

48. There are still plenty of Democratic federal judges on the bench.

You gotta be really bad and not just a PITA complainer. Plus if he wins because of them, his stance might change.

[shrike3]

57. Hasn't done us too much good so far.

I was told repeatedly the judiciary would hold. So far, it's not.

Trump is a friend of Netanyahu''s, so I doubt his stance would change that much.

[thucythucy]

52. Does being shipped to Guantanamo Bay

count as deportation?

And are you seriously suggesting that Trump, if reinstalled in power, will feel obligated to obey the letter of the law and respect the Constitutional rights of his perceived enemies? The same Trump whose attorneys are now arguing before the Supreme Court that a president ordering the assassination of a political rival is committing, not a crime, but "an official act?"

Also, who gets to decide what are "grave circumstances?"

[LeftInTX]

54. Yes it does. Did he ship US citizens to Gitmo?

“When a terrorist or sex offender becomes a U.S. citizen under false pretenses, it is an affront to our system—and it is especially offensive to those who fall victim to these criminals,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt. “The Denaturalization Section will further the Department’s efforts to pursue those who unlawfully obtained citizenship status and ensure that they are held accountable for their fraudulent conduct.”

Denaturalization cases require the government to show that a defendant’s naturalization was “illegally procured” or “procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation . . . .” 8 U.S.C. § 1451. Civil denaturalization cases have no statute of limitations, and the Department has successfully denaturalized numerous categories of individuals who have illegally obtained citizenship, including terrorists and other national security threats, war criminals, human rights violators, sex offenders, and other fraudsters.

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-creates-section-dedicated-denaturalization-cases

[shrike3]

59. That was in his first term, where there were guardrails and sane people in his administration.

There'd be none of those in his second.

[thucythucy]

60. You're saying because Trump didn't do it in his first term

he won't do it in his second? The same man who publicly proclaimed he will be a "dictator" for the first day? With a Supreme Court now so much more in his corner?

I wish I had your faith in the man's, ahem, respect for the law and the Constitution, but I just don't see it.

Besides which, there might be other adverse consequences for perceived enemies than deportation. Tens of thousands of Japanese Americans--most of them citizens--were essentially "deported" from their homes to camps in some of the most inhospitable parts of the country.

But then, someone seriously suggesting, as the man quoted in the article does, that what's happening in Gaza is "the worst genocide" in modern history probably isn't familiar with that history either.

And I ask again: who gets to decide what constitutes a "grave" circumstance?

[LeftInTX]

61. This what the DOJ says: (not me!!!)

“When a terrorist or sex offender becomes a U.S. citizen under false pretenses, it is an affront to our system—and it is especially offensive to those who fall victim to these criminals,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt. “The Denaturalization Section will further the Department’s efforts to pursue those who unlawfully obtained citizenship status and ensure that they are held accountable for their fraudulent conduct.”

Denaturalization cases require the government to show that a defendant’s naturalization was “illegally procured” or “procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation . . . .” 8 U.S.C. § 1451. Civil denaturalization cases have no statute of limitations, and the Department has successfully denaturalized numerous categories of individuals who have illegally obtained citizenship, including terrorists and other national security threats, war criminals, human rights violators, sex offenders, and other fraudsters.

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-creates-section-dedicated-denaturalization-cases

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1451

[thucythucy]

65. I read it the first time.

My point is that the people who argue "it can't get any worse than Joe Biden" are sadly and dangerously deluded.

And that anyone who thinks a second Trump administration will be bound by DOJ guidelines or Constitutional guarantees and precedent is also very much fooling themselves.

It reminds me of all the times I heard that Roe v. Wade "would never be overturned" so not voting for Hillary was justified to "send a message."

What some of us see as impossible is precisely what many others among us in this nation are striving to achieve.

[LeftInTX]

66. True, but that's not how they are seeing it. Their thinking doesn't make sense to me.

However, ME politics is like that. There is also a very libertarian streak in ME politics, because people don't trust or rely on the government. Participation in the civil process is quite limited. So, to them, it isn't as big of deal as it is to us. My great grandmother refused to call the Turkish police when her daughter was murdered. Grudges, feuds, families and clans are course of the day and are considered more powerful than justice and civics.

[thucythucy]

68. Well, I hope they come to their senses before the election.

Right now there's another cease fire proposal on the table, backed by the US. From what I hear it's now up to Hamas to agree or not.

It all depends on the release of the hostages, which should have happened months ago. It seems to me that is the first step in any meanigful path to a solution to all this horror.

[NickB79]

74. Trump is OPENLY gunning to become a US dictator

He's not even that shy about saying it, just coached as a "joke".

If he gets back in the White House, and he has the majority of the USSC backing him, the US Constitution doesn't mean jack shit anymore.

Dictators don't give a fuck about rules and laws.

[shrike3]

56. Have they been asked what they think of Kushner's condo idea for Gaza?

And do they understand how difficult immigrating to Canada can be?

[Freethinker65]

43. Perhaps the reporter should have moved around a bit more?

Spoke to a cluster of (like minded) people.

Seek and ye shall find.

I am not saying the Arab population of Michigan are all pleased with Biden and will be voting for Biden, but to take what you overhear during one prayer service in one mosque from a group near you, and extrapolate that to the entire Muslim population of a State is pretty irresponsible.

[shrike3]

55. Happens all the time, unfortunately.

Lack of time, deadlines, laziness. Need to fit a narrative: Michigan Arabs hate Biden.

[betsuni]

46. Those who thought this wasn't going to be just a primary election problem were correct.

[LeftInTX]

49. Exactly!!!

[Lovie777]

51. The answer is NO.............................

[RandySF]

53. Yes

[dalton99a]

58. Kick

[elias7]

63. Good thinking. Trump wants Muslims out of the country and he supports Netanyahu's aggression

Trump would be fine with Netanyahu taking over Gaza and the West Bank. The Palestinians should make peace and declare a state while they have anything left. Discounting the 2 million Arab Israelis, the Palestinian habitat has been steadily shrinking since 1948; only they can stop it. Make peace, war ends. Make a state, leave Israel alone, thrive.

[JI7]

70. Majority of Arabs and Muslims voted for George W Bush

these are just mostly conservative leaning groups like evangelical Christians.

[LeftInTX]

71. I know. The article states that. Social conservatives. They also come from countries who don't trust government.

So, they have a bit of a libertarian streak. Or they have an attitude that it doesn't matter who is elected. They tend to keep to their own and make their own way.

[EllieBC]

106. Nobody likes to talk about the social conservatism.

Everyone just dances around it. A town in MI banned pride from municipal spaces and fired some employees who violated their rules.

That mayor and council weren’t Christian conservatives.

[NickB79]

72. I have a Pakistani friend who posted on Facebook that he was voting Trump

He lost his mind after the US started hitting Yemeni missile batteries, ranting on Facebook about "Genocide Joe".

He came here 15 years ago, got his parents here 5 yr ago, and just brought his two brothers and sister over less than 2 years ago.

Trump will not be kind to his family if he gets back in power.

[JI7]

76. What does he think about Pakistan kicking out Afghans

and then carrying out attacks in Afghanistan ?

[Initech]

75. WTF is wrong with people?

Seriously turn off Fox News and quit listening to the right wing bullshit propaganda. That crap is bad for you.

[no_hypocrisy]

77. And . . . . Trump will hand Gaza entirely over to Netanyahu, who will

give a chunk of prime real estate to Trump's SIL, Jared Kushner, who will build luxury condos by the beach.

Betcha didn't think of THAT, huh?

[Big Blue Marble]

78. People never make the best decisions when they are angry.

And the Arab voters are really angry and ready to burn the house down.
No one is listening to them in their desperation watching their friends
and families die.

Like it or not they were part of coalition that elected Biden and
he is failing them. 'We may all pay the price.

The best thing that happens is a permeant cease fire and assistance
for post-war Gaza, ASAP.

[shrike3]

102. And if Trump gets back in, he and Netanyahu will be best buds again.

He's already told Nety to finish it up. And Gaza will be cleared for waterfront condos.

That's why you don't make decisions when you're angry.

[edhopper]

80. I think the only thing that will appease them

is Biden abandoning Israel completely, and then maybe bombing Tel Aviv,

[Big Blue Marble]

99. No, they clearly understood that Biden was a long time supporter of

Israel in 2020 when they gave him their full-throated support.

They just never dreamed that he would fully support Israel while they
are slaughtering and starving the children and people of Gaza.

To this point, they see his efforts as too little, too late.

[PeaceWave]

87. Palestinians for Trump...

It's just a matter of time before we see some guy standing behind Trump with this logo emblazoned across his t-shirt.

[Polybius]

95. If they abandon Biden and he loses MI and the Presidency...

Then I won't come to their defense when Trump deports them.

[LeftInTX]

98. Me too!

They wanna send a message? Well..f...that....

[bottomofthehill]

104. Fuck-em

At least we will know who to blame for the Muslim ban and deportations. This is a really good plan

Sarcasm thingy added.

[larwdem]

105. I think

Most of them are right wing plants

[JCMach1]

107. Let's discuss the elephant in the room.that is KSA's. I fluence

Influence in America's Mosques mosques and how the Saudis pimped for Trump in 2016 and 2020...

[intheflow]

109. You mean the same group of people Trump tried

to exportation from the U.S. en masse? Because I don’t think many of them are going to forget that.