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Muslim Americans Organize To Get Out The Vote

Do Muslim Americans have the power to tip the U.S. election in swing states? According to Fusion, an unprecedented campaign called "Hashtag MyMuslimVote" thinks so, and is urging the community to vote. Mohammad Khan is campaign manager at Muslim advocacy organization MPower Change, which launched the campaign. He said, “MyMuslimVote … is focused on building grassroots Muslim political power and amplifying an authentic narrative of Muslim communities." He explained, "There has been a lot of attention focused on Muslims to the point where it almost seems like we’re being used as a political football.” Islamophobic hate crimes happen largely because Muslim Americans have been linked to terrorism and extremism throughout this election season. During the presidential debates, both Clinton and Trump urged community members to “be part of our eyes and ears on our front lines” and “report when they see something going on.” But critics say this kind of messaging perpetuates a double standard. In a recent Fusion video, Yasmin Nouh said, “We don’t tell young white men to be our eyes and ears in the fight against mass shootings, so why are Muslims presumed to be the perpetrators of terror--or the friends or neighbors or cousins of terrorists--when, worldwide, Muslims are actually the biggest victims of terror?”