Muslim voters 54percent for Kerry 26 for Nader 2 for Bush

[JI7]

this is very good news because muslims supported bush by a huge amount in 2000 but now he only has 2 percent support among them. while kerry has more than half with nader getting a small but significant amount of support.

<WASHINGTON, June 29 /U.S. Newswire/ -- American Muslim voters favored presidential candidates John Kerry and Ralph Nader in a survey released today by a prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group.

The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) reported that 54 percent of eligible Muslim voters said they would vote for Kerry, while 26 percent favored Nader. A sizable 14 percent of Muslim voters said they are still undecided. (Fifty-five percent of the respondents said they voted for President Bush in the 2000 election.)

According to CAIR's survey of 1161 individuals taken this month, 34 percent of respondents said the Democratic Party best represents American Muslim interests, closely followed by the Green Party at 24 percent. Almost one-quarter (22 percent) of the respondents said no party reflected their views.

On other issues, only 11 percent of respondents said they are better off now than they were four years ago. Forty-five percent said they experienced some form of anti-Muslim discrimination or bias in the past year and 87 percent felt less secure since the invasion of Iraq. However, 81 percent said they feel free to practice their faith in America.>

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=136-06292004

[Endangered Specie]

1. Muslims voting Bush in 2000?... aint that like Jews voting for Buchanan?

:shrug:

[Scoopie]

3. I hope you're being sarcastic!

Surely you are!

Muslims should have never fallen for so-called "compassionate conservatism" in the first place. My ex husband and all his family who live in the states thought that Bush was a dolt the first time around! LOL!

But, like the thinking people so many people of that faith tend to be, they've decided they made a mistake and now it's time to get rid of the facilitator (that's what many of them call Bush and the neo-con movement).

[JI7]

4. muslims tend to be pretty conservative

nader always gets more than usual support from muslims because of the palestinian issue. but republicans do well with muslim voters, or at least use to becaue they agree on many issues outside of foreign policy.

[Scoopie]

5. True

But this year, I believe their very lives are more important than some conservative religious agenda that really doesn't translate well to them since Bush considers himself on a neo-connish Christian right-wingnut Crusade at this point.

My family from overseas are very educated and world-saavy, so they only looked at Bush for what he was: an ignoramous. They didn't consider the conservative agenda - even though I'll bet you that they're not "for" homosexual marriage or abortion.

I just thought of something: we have never discussed these wedge issues in regards to voting! LOL! Seriously, I guess those are but small issues in our overall agendas and don't matter, so I really couldn't tell you if that has ever effected their voting or not. Odd. I just know they all think Bush is an idiot and always have.

[no name no slogan]

6. They're socially conservative, but economically pretty liberal

One of the five pillars of Islam is that you are required to take care of the poor and less fortunate people in the community. Observant Muslims take this pillar VERY seriously-- as seriously as they do the other four. They are compelled to give Zakat (a form of tithing or alms) whenever their personal wealth increases. Their sense of social justice is higher than that of most observant Christians, IMHO.

In many ways, American Muslims are very much like the "Reagan Democrats" who supported Reagan because of his "family values". They are socially conservative (especially on lifestyle issues) but are very liberal on their economic policies-- pro-union, pro-jobs, anti-big business, and (formerly) pro-Democrat, until the "New Democrats" steered the party rightward on fiscal issues.

[JohnKleeb]

7. aint that how Catholic voters are and we win them still

then again Catholics can be socially liberal often.

[JI7]

9. yes, it's more catholics than muslims though

muslims supporting giving to charity based on their religion is not the same as supporting government involvement which is what catholics often support. muslims tend to be for less government involvement. it doesn' tmean they don't care. it just means they see the private sector as the best way to do things, which is of course why democrats haven't done well with that group.

[JohnKleeb]

10. got ya

some of the most catholic people in my family are staunch dems. I think Kerry can win well among Catholics.

[JI7]

8. that's private charity which conservatives support also, they are less for

government involvement though. which is why they have a history of supporting republicans. being conservative doesn't mean they oppose helping anyone, it means more they oppose government doing it. their argument is always that the private sector should do it. which is what muslims tend to support.protestants are on the same level with them here.

jews and catholics on the other hand tend to be big supporters of government involvement to support others. they of course support the private sector doing something but they also want government to do something.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

2. .............