October 6, 2020
71 Percent American Muslim Voters Support Joe Biden
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
71 percent of Muslim voters are likely to vote for the Democratic Presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden, according to a survey of American Muslim voters released Monday by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
Eighteen percent say they would vote to re-elect President Donald Trump, the survey indicated.
However, the percentage of registered Muslim voters who most closely identify with the Democratic Party decreased from CAIR’s previous poll in 2018, from 78 percent to 66 percent. Conversely, Muslim support for the Republican Party increased to 19 percent compared to 17 percent in a similar CAIR poll from 2018.
Eighty-nine percent of registered Muslim voters intend to vote in the 2020 Presidential General Election, while only five percent are still undecided if they will vote.
Here are highlights of CAIR’s survey results:
Fifty-nine percent of Muslim voters believe that Joe Biden won the September 29th presidential debate, while 14 percent think that Donald Trump won it. Twenty-one percent were unsure who won the debate, most likely due to its chaotic nature.
Forty-two percent of registered Muslims voters consider themselves liberal leaning on social issues, while 34 percent consider themselves to be conservative.
However, 42 percent consider themselves to be fiscally conservative, while 37 percent who consider themselves to be fiscally liberal.
Forty-five percent feel that the Democratic Party is generally friendly toward Muslims, followed by 44 percent who feel that it is neutral toward Muslims, and 14 percent who feel that it is unfriendly toward Muslims.
Sixty-one percent of registered Muslim voters feel that the Republican Party is unfriendly toward Muslims, 24 percent feel that the Republican Party is neutral toward Muslims, and 16 percent feel that the Republican Party is friendly toward Muslims.
Sixty-seven percent of registered Muslim voters think Islamophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment in the U.S. has increased in the past four years, while 15 percent of registered Muslim voters think Islamophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment in the U.S. has decreased. Eighteen percent of registered Muslim voters preferred not to answer the question.
“Our survey clearly shows that more registered Muslim voters intend to vote in this presidential election than in 2016, and that the majority of those voters favor former Vice President Joe Biden in comparison to re-electing President Donald Trump,” said CAIR Director of Government Affairs Robert S. McCaw.
“That said, Muslim voters are equally social liberals and fiscal conservatives, indicating that both major political parties should be doing more to reach out to and engage Muslims in this and every election.”
CAIR’s survey is just one part of an ongoing effort by the Washington-based civil rights organization to mobilize American Muslim voters. CAIR recently launched a new section of the 2020 election and voter mobilization website for “Early Voting” and updated its “Vote-by-Mail Guide” to mark National Voter Registration Day for 2020.
On August 28, 2020, American Muslim activists across the country rallied their communities to participate in National Muslim Voter Registration Day to impact the 2020 presidential election. MPower Change, in collaboration with grassroots organizations, launched the #MyMuslimVote campaign to promote a nationwide virtual registration drive.
The CAIR survey report presents a detailed picture of political positions and attitudes held by American Muslim voters the day after the first presidential debate took place on September 29, 2020 between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden.
CAIR, the largest American Muslim civil advocacy group, regularly monitors American Muslim voter attitudes, most recently through a nationwide Super Tuesday poll on March 5, 2020 and another survey on February 3, 2020, the eve of the Iowa Caucuses.
CAIR also commissioned a 2018 Midterm Election poll, and has tracked American Muslim voting habits in various forms since 2000.
The interconnectedness of the American Muslim community and its more than one million registered voters makes Muslims a strong and increasingly critical voice in American politics, according to CAIR.
In the lead up to the 2020 General Election, presidential campaigns have made active and public efforts to court the American Muslim vote, with some even hiring dedicated staffers to develop ties with this growing constituency.
Joe Biden’s agenda for Muslim Americans
In a bid to attract the American Muslim vote, Joe Biden, Democratic Presidential nominee Joe appointed a Senior Advisor for Muslim Engagement on his presidential campaign and issued a special paper saying “Muslim-Americans are essential to the American fabric, and working with Muslim-American communities is critical to ensuring that Muslim-Americans are uplifted and empowered, and that their issues of concern are addressed within our democracy.”
Muslim-Americans are a diverse, vibrant part of the United States, making invaluable cultural and economic contributions to communities all across the nation. But they also face real challenges and threats in our society, including racially-motivated violence and Islamophobia. Joe Biden pledged to work closely with Muslim-Americans to address the needs and legitimate concerns of the Muslim-American community. As President, he will: protect Muslim-American constitutional and civil rights; honor the diversity of Muslim-American communities; ensure adequate healthcare; create a safe learning environment; rebuild our economy with a more resilient, more inclusive middle class; and make communities safer.
The Trump campaign in mid-August launched Muslim Voices for Trump. Also introduced at that time were similar coalitions for voters who identify as Indian, Hindu and Sikh. A Trump campaign site targeted to Muslim supporters includes a sign-up form, but no policy initiatives are listed. "Muslim Voices for Trump will energize and mobilize the Muslim community in re-electing President Donald J. Trump by sharing the many successes of the Trump Administration," the site states. "Re-electing President Trump will ensure the protection of religious liberties, economic prosperity, and educational opportunities for Muslims in America."
American Muslims have also begun to run for office in unprecedented numbers as outlined in the CAIR, Jetpac, and MPower Change 2018 report, “The Rise of American Muslim Changemakers.”
A follow-up report on American Muslim candidates running for office is planned to be released after the November 3, 2020 General Election.
Abdus Sattar Ghazali is the Chief Editor of the Journal of America (www.journalofamerica.net) email: asghazali2011 (@) gmail.com
The Journal of America Team:
Editor in chief:
Abdus Sattar Ghazali
Senior Editor:
Prof. Arthur Scott
Special Correspondent
Maryam Turab
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