With Regard to Politics, Muslims Torn Between Civil Rights and Social Issues

November 6, 2005

Source: The Dallas Morning News

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-muslimprop2_06tex.ART.State.Edition2.d87eee4.html

On November 6, 2005 The Dallas Morning News reported, "[In Arlington, Texas] at a festival celebrating the end of Ramadan, a few thousand Muslims were greeted last week by a bounce house, sandwich and hot tea stands and a sign proclaiming '1 Man + 1 Woman = Marriage.' The table promoting this week's vote on an anti-gay marriage amendment to the state constitution was the latest effort by Tarrant County Republicans to reach out to disaffected Muslim voters. GOP activists said [this vote] was a good opportunity to emphasize how much conservative Christians and Muslims have in common... Rabiah Ahmed, a spokeswoman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said support for President Bush has bottomed out among Muslim voters because of civil-liberties abuses... Jamal Obied of Grand Prairie said that while he doesn't always agree with Mr. Bush's foreign policy, the conservative stance on social issues is a winner with Muslims."