Source: The American Muslim Council
On October 23, 2000, The American Muslim Council issued the following press release: "The American
Muslim Political Coordinating Council Political Action Committee (AMPCC-PAC) announced
its endorsement of Governor George W. Bush at a press conference held this morning.
The AMPCC-PAC cited Bush's accessibility to the American Muslim community and his
stand on the issues of secret evidence and profiling as the key dynamics contributing
to the endorsement. There are more than six million Muslims in the United States.
Muslims constitute a potential swing-voting block in battle-ground states such as
Michigan, Illinois and Ohio. The endorsement came 'from the bottom-up' and was based
on three key factors: The level of accessibility provided by the candidate to the
American Muslim community. The track record of the candidate specifically on issues of
civil rights. Input from community groups via surveys, straw polls and town
hallmeetings. American Muslim Council President and AMPCC-PAC member, Dr. Yahya Basha,
cited Governor Bush's 'elevated level of concern in regards to secret evidence and
airport profiling and bringing it to the national political debate.'
"'Governor Bush took the initiative to meet with local and national representatives of
the Muslim community. He also promised to address Muslim concerns on domestic and
foreign policy issues," said AMPCC-PAC head Agha Saeed. American Muslims have an
opportunity to significantly influence the outcome of this election. By voting as a
bloc, especially in a race in which the candidates are in a 'dead heat,' American
Muslims will become a voice that cannot be ignored or overlooked in terms of political
participation. 'The endorsement was not intended as a declaration of the American
Muslim community's partisanship toward one party over another, but rather as an
illustration that American Muslims will vote for specific candidates depending on
their record and relationship with the community and on how that candidate addresses
issues of concern to American Muslims,' said Executive Director of AMC and AMPCC-PAC
member, Aly Abuzaakouk. The AMPCC is a member coalition of the four major Muslim
political organizations: The American Muslim Council (AMC), the American Muslim
Alliance (AMA), the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), and the Muslim
Public Affairs Council (MPAC). The endorsement came from the Political Action
Committee (PAC) of the AMPCC."