Become an Informed Voter: Learning More about Candidates and Issues

Last updated on: October 21, 2016 at 4:53 pm By Guest Contributor

This is the third in a four-part series focusing on the 2016 election cycle and how American Muslim communities factor into the political process. Click here for part one and here for part two. By Altmuslim Staff With less than 20 days to go until voting on November 8 in the 2016 presidential election, many voters are looking for actual breakdowns on where candidates stand on a variety issues beyond what has been discussed in debates. Also, what are the thousands of state... Read more

Trump P***Y Tee: Six American Muslim Women Respond

Last updated on: October 19, 2016 at 5:16 pm By Guest Contributor

By Layla Abdullah-Poulos The 2016 election season has been fraught with disturbing comments from and revelations about the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates – Hillary Clinton and Donald J. Trump. These revelations subsequently produce a laundry list of excuses for whichever candidate is currently in the media hot spot as well as attempts to deflect from the most controversial issues about their personality or policy. Voters expect this and respond accordingly, which means they will either disparage or defend the... Read more

Confronting the New Southern Strategy of Anti-Black Racism and Islamophobia

Last updated on: October 18, 2016 at 10:01 am By Guest Contributor

Embed from Getty Images By Dawud Walid American Election cycles normally have a polarizing effect on our society. In attempts for politicians to garner monetary support and ultimately votes, rhetoric has always been projected to show the differences between candidates’ positions and segments on their identities. At the heart of separating some from others, race and religion have and continued to be deployed explicitly and implicitly in order to rally bases or to otherize the competition. Within this context, there... Read more

Modest Muslim Fashion Show Caters to Mixed-Gender Audience

Last updated on: October 17, 2016 at 2:12 pm By Guest Contributor

By Saideh Jamshidi Lee Mozena, director of Zena Consulting, organized a mixed-gender modest couture fashion show to celebrate diversity, multiculturalism and different standards of modest fashion in the Pacific Northwest last week. Malikah Festival was the product of the effort, funded by Redmond Arts and Culture Commission, which took place at Redmond Senior Center. “I think it is very hard to get accurate information about Muslims, and it is hard for people, especially newcomers, to get to know each other,” said... Read more

A Prayer to End the Election-Induced Nightmare

Last updated on: October 16, 2016 at 5:34 pm By Guest Contributor

Embed from Getty Images By Sabeeha Rehman A bomb goes off in my neighborhood. I sit stunned and horrified, as the news flashes on my computer screen. My husband had just gone out to mail a letter. Dear God. Let him be ok. I reach out to call him. No answer. Maybe he didn’t hear the phone ring. Please let him be ok. I grab my keys and rush out. Come on, elevator! I turnaround, make my way to the... Read more

Three Men Arrested in Terrorist Plot on Somali Muslims in Kansas

Last updated on: October 15, 2016 at 12:39 pm By Guest Contributor

By Altmuslim Editors Three members of a militia group, who call themselves “The Crusaders” have been arrested and charged with domestic terrorism for plotting a bombing of a mosque and housing complex (where a large number of Somali Muslim refugees live and worship) in Garden City, Kansas. U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said in a news conference Friday that The Crusaders had stockpiled weapons and materials for bomb-making and other explosive components and were considering a number of other targets, “including... Read more

Why the Muslim Vote will be Crucial in this Election

Last updated on: October 13, 2016 at 5:01 pm By Guest Contributor

This is the second in a four-part series focusing on the 2016 election cycle and how American Muslim communities factor into the political process. Click here for part one. By Youssef Chouhoud One of the hallmark theories in political science is the so-called “paradox of voting.” The reward citizens get from casting a ballot, according to this model, is a function of the benefit accrued from their preferred candidate being elected, multiplied by the probability that their vote would prove pivotal,... Read more

Beyond Party Lines: A Call for Moral Voting

Last updated on: October 11, 2016 at 2:10 pm By Guest Contributor

By Saud Inam We’re experiencing what many would call one of the ugliest and most frustrating presidential campaign in recent US history. Regardless of party affiliation or what we may think of either candidate in the presidential election this much is clear: America is at a crossroads. Not to sound alarmist, but the very fate of our nation and the direction we want to take our nation lies in this years’ presidential election on who we could potentially have as... Read more

We are Strongest When We Refuse to be Divided

Last updated on: October 7, 2016 at 1:34 pm By Guest Contributor

By Asma Uddin and Rabbi Jack Moline What is the purpose of terror attacks against civilians, like what we saw recently in New York, Minnesota and New Jersey? They don’t just aim to harm innocent life, they also aim to inflict spiritual harm against our nation as a whole. They seek to weaken us, provoke fear and cause neighbor to turn against neighbor. We pray for those injured in the attacks and we renew our resolve to not fall prey... Read more

Mobilization and Beyond: Building Muslim Political Power

Last updated on: October 5, 2016 at 4:27 pm By Guest Contributor

Embed from Getty Images This is the first in a four-part series focusing on the 2016 election cycle and how American Muslim communities factor into the political process. By Mohammad Khan Like no other election cycle in recent memory, the 2016 presidential campaign has been fraught with an intense focus on Muslims, Islam and Muslim communities. We’ve heard all sorts of absurd policies and rhetoric directed at Muslims—ranging from calls to ban us from entering the country to suggesting that Muslims... Read more