Muslim faith leaders support Kamala Harris

A group of imams supported Vice President Kamala Harris in an open letter first shared with NBC News on Sunday. This is a crucial boost for her as she steps up her efforts to win back disaffected Muslim voters amid the Israel-Hamas war.

Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, has faced widespread anger among Muslim and Arab voters over the Biden administration's support for Israel's war in Gaza, and the community may be critical of some battleground states such as Michigan.

The 25 Islamic religious leaders who signed the letter, written a year after the Oct. 7 terrorist attack that sparked the war, argue that Muslim voters have a duty to think logically about their voting decisions and that support for Harris “the harms far outweigh the other options.”

“She is also a strong candidate for a ceasefire and the best option to end the bloodshed in Gaza and now Lebanon,” they wrote.

The imams argued that former President Donald Trump posed a threat to their community.

“It is both a moral and strategic failure to knowingly allow someone like Donald Trump to return to office, whether by voting directly for him or for a third-party candidate. “Particularly in swing states, a vote for a third party could allow Trump to win that state and therefore the election,” they wrote.

“Given (Trump's) well-documented history of harming our communities and our country, as well as what he has promised to Muslims and Palestinians should he return, it is our duty not to allow our high feelings to dictate our actions.” Damage,” the letter says.

The letter argues that leaders have “a responsibility.” Amanaso as not to put our community at risk.”

It's a remarkable endorsement from a community where Harris is mourning the loss of prominent allies.

Several prominent Muslim groups have endorsed anti-war third-party candidates such as Jill Stein and Cornel West, while others have launched a movement called “Abandon Harris” to punish Democrats for the Biden administration's steadfast support of Israel.

Many other Muslim groups and leaders who have supported Democrats in the past have withheld their support or refused to endorse a presidential candidate.

Some critics felt Harris had largely failed the Muslim and Arab American communities. About 700,000 people voted “non-binding” in this year's Democratic primary in protest of President Joe Biden's policies. And delegates' request for a Palestinian speaker at the Democratic National Convention this summer was rejected.

Mohamed Elsanousi, a Muslim community leader who helped organize the pro-Harris letter, noted that most of the 25 signatories are permanent imams with large congregations, including some from swing states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina.

He said he hoped the support of religious leaders would make conflicted Muslim voters feel more comfortable voting for Harris, despite strong opposition to her from some prominent Muslim voices.

“I’m really confident that this letter will change a lot of people’s minds,” Elsanousi said. “The momentum (for Harris) in the community is growing.”

The letter is the Harris campaign's latest attempt to reach those voters after meeting with Muslim community leaders in Michigan on Friday. Her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, spoke Thursday at a virtual event hosted by a pro-Harris Muslim voters group. Also last week, the vice president's national security adviser met with Arab and Muslim community leaders in Washington.

“The vice president is committed to winning every vote, uniting our country and being a president for all Americans,” Nasrina Bargzie, the campaign’s Muslim and Arab American outreach director, said in a statement. “Throughout her career, Vice President Harris has steadfastly supported our country’s diverse Muslim community and ensured they can live free from the hateful policies of the Trump administration.”