Election 2000

October 23, 2000

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."