Unity the theme of American Muslims luncheon at DNC
PHILADELPHIA - The American Muslim Democratic Caucus Thursday was a luncheon at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, and nothing brings people together like food.
The caucus was so popular, there was a waiting list despite a number of competing events, including a panel on faith and social change movements just down the street.
Bringing people together was the theme of the day: Those who supported Hillary Clinton and those who backed Bernie Sanders. Muslims, Christians and Jews. Women and men. Party elders and young activists.
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Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota, the first Muslim elected to Congress, quoted an appropriate passage from the Quran: “And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided. And remember the favor of Allah upon you – when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His favor, brothers.”
Ellison acknowledged that bringing people together is easier said than done. “Unity is often discussed but hard to achieve,” he said. The problem: “Unity requires giving other people credit.”
Giving others credit doesn’t come naturally to many people, least of all politicians who can never stop campaigning for the next election.
As a fervent Sanders fan, Ellison said, Clinton has his full support. He noted that Sanders’ influence pushed the adoption of the most inclusive and progressive platform in the party’s history. “Not the best we could ever do, but up until now it’s the best we’ve ever seen.”
It’s up to voters to hold her to that commitment, he added, but first they need to unify behind their shared values.
“If we’re comparing Hillary Clinton to perfection, she doesn’t win,” Ellison said. “If we compare her to Donald Trump, she wins by 10 gazillion points.”
Like other speakers, Ellison argued that the contrast between Clinton and Trump goes far beyond the usual policy differences between Democrats and Republicans.
“We can argue over tax and spending,” he said, “but we cannot argue over who is in the human community of the United States.”
In case anyone had forgotten the stakes, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who received an award from the caucus, delivered a brief history lesson on coalitions that brought about social change and Democratic disunity that allowed Republicans to take the White House.
And he left the crowd with a short sermon about civic responsibility: “When I protect my neighbor’s house, I secure my house. … If my neighbor’s house is on fire, I cannot be happy until all of us are secure.”
Nihad Awad, head of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, was even more to the point. In an election with an unprecedented amount of Islamophobia and unacceptable statements, he said, “we need an unprecedented level of unity and civic engagement.”
Awad said Muslims must work to eliminate profiling and fight a flawed terror watch list, as well as reclaim their religion from terrorists who distort it. But Muslims can’t afford to separate themselves from the broader community. They shouldn’t be viewed solely through a national security prism, he said.
Unity is the key, he said, citing efforts to raise the minimum wage and end mass incarceration as among the many concerns that Muslim Democrats share with others in their party.
“We have to show that we care every day about others,” Awad said.