Muslim voters in Michigan send a message

The Islamic community in Michigan threatened to send President Biden a message—and they did.

Through their votes in the state’s recent Democratic primary, Arab Muslims in Michigan sent this message to President Joe Biden: As long as you continue to support Israel, you won’t get our votes.

The Associated Press reports that three Michigan cities—Dearborn, Dearborn Heights and Hamtramck—each with large Arab Muslim populations, “turned against President Joe Biden in the state’s primary after Democratic leaders there warned for months that voters were angry about his handling of the Israel-Hamas war.” Although Biden won the state with over 623,000 votes, the final results in the three Muslim-majority cities show that more than 100,000 Democratic voters cast ballots for “uncommitted” in the race.

These “uncommitted” votes are due to concerted effort led by Arab Muslim politicians and organizers. Palestinian American U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib openly argued that Arabs and Muslims should cast their votes as “uncommitted.” Her sister, Layla Elabed, led the campaign of “Listen to Michigan,” which pioneered the “uncommitted” push. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) also encouraged Muslims to make their vote known.

On election night, many Arabs gathered in restaurants to eat and dance, celebrating what they saw as a great victory that reflected the Muslim disposition in the land.

Clearly, Arab Muslims sent a loud message to Biden, but will this really affect his chances in the November election? What does this concerted Muslim effort reveal about Islamic activism in the United States and its political goals?

Three major points to make on this story.

First, Arab Muslim political activism in the United States is well rooted and well organized. What happened in Michigan is likely to be repeated in other states, such as Minnesota, which has the largest Somali population in the nation. This sociopolitical activism reflects how Muslims often don’t shy away from strong political engagement. Arab Muslims aspire to make their efforts known and link them to religious and political demands. They seek to emphasize their strength as a block of voters, largely voting together, reflecting the Islamic concept of the umma, a unified and united community.

This is evident in the “Listen to Michigan” campaign, which is hardly about Michiganders in general but precisely about the demands of the Arab Muslims in Michigan and their anti-Israel agenda. Although the campaign is framed as “we need Joe Biden to listen to the voice of Michiganders,” the message is clearly to emphasize how American Muslims are loyal to the Palestinian cause and have specific demands for the war with Israel. Bottom line: Michigan Muslims want their loyalty to be noticed and their voices heard.

Second, while the Michigan results reflect how Arab Muslims successfully came together to declare their opposition to Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war, their efforts—at least for now—don’t seem to be highly consequential for the November election. After all, will they really prefer Trump over Biden? It’s very doubtful, as Trump is also supportive of Israel, if not more so. What happened in Michigan was basically an attempt of Arabs—led and organized by political Muslim activists—to entertain what a concerted election push can do in a state with a very large Muslim population.

The result is undoubtedly powerful, but in the overall scheme of politics appears inconsequential on the short run. While indeed Michigan’s Arab American population is the largest in the nation by density, we should recognize that they only constitute 3 percent of Michiganders. There will likely be more major pressing issues for Michiganders in November, such as the economic outlook of the United Auto Workers.

Third, there is growing momentum for Arab Muslims in the political sphere in the United States. There is no doubt about that. If it’s not significantly consequential right now, it will be in years to come, because of how Arabs and Muslims are often keen to work together to achieve political victories. Politicians should be aware that what began in Michigan will likely continue to grow in influence. Most of the momentum behind the concerted Muslim efforts reflects the growing influence of Islamism in America. This ideology is adopted by many Muslim activists, aiming to elevate Islam and its political values to shape and influence society. While no one can know the intentions of any voter, Arab Muslims are clear about what they support. Their political influence will only grow in the future.

Muslims in Michigan sent a clear message to Biden in the primary election. So, who else is listening?