A recent report by Politico on December 2, 2023, leaders from Muslim and Arab American communities in crucial swing states are making waves with a campaign against President Joe Biden. The initiative, named No More Blank Checks for Biden, was launched on November 10, 2023, at Milwaukee City Hall.
Leaders from Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Arizona, and California are joining forces, pledging to withhold support and mobilize their communities against Biden unless he alters his position on the Israel-Hamas conflict and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
We are here today to say enough is enough. We will not be silent, complicit, or forget. We will not vote for Biden or any politician not standing with the people of Palestine, declared Omar Salha, the executive director of the Wisconsin chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
Salha highlighted the disappointment within the Muslim and Arab American communities, emphasizing their role in securing Wisconsin for Biden in 2020. He criticized Biden’s unwavering support for Israel, holding the president accountable for the lives lost and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The campaign extends beyond Gaza, addressing the surge in Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism in the U.S. Salha blamed Biden’s failure to condemn Israel’s actions for exacerbating these issues.
The campaign’s demands include lifting the blockade on Gaza, ending military aid to Israel, supporting the International Criminal Court’s investigation of Israeli war crimes, and recognizing the right of return for Palestinian refugees.
We are not asking for anything unreasonable. We are asking for justice, dignity, freedom, human rights—the same values this country claims to uphold, stated Salha.
Leaders from across the country echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the diversity and power of the Muslim and Arab American communities. Nada Al-Hanooti from Emgage Michigan warned of political consequences if their demands are ignored.
We are not a monolith. We are here to demand our rights, respect, representation, accountability, and change, asserted Al-Hanooti.
The campaign’s launch followed a White House meeting where Biden expressed support for a cease-fire but reiterated his commitment to Israel’s security. This meeting was criticized as a token gesture by some activists.
We are not here to listen to empty promises, be pacified by platitudes, or appeased by photo ops. We are here to see results, and we are here to see them now,declared Ahmad Ramadan, leading the coalition efforts for the Michigan Democratic Party.
The campaign organizers clarified that they are pro-Palestine, not anti-Biden, and are willing to collaborate with anyone sharing their vision and values. They emphasized being anti-Zionist, not anti-Semitic, and opposed to any form of racism, bigotry, and oppression.
We are here to unite with our fellow Americans who stand with us in solidarity, suffer with us in agony, and pray with us in hope, concluded Imam Omar Suleiman, expressing the moral imperative of the campaign and urging Biden and other politicians to join their quest for peace and justice.
