PREVIEW 'One million percent not for Harris' - Michigan's Arab population turns on VP

Record ID: 1852706

  • Title: PREVIEW 'One million percent not for Harris' - Michigan's Arab population turns on VP
  • Date: 31st October 2024
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEARBORN MOTHER AND EDUCATOR, INIYA SOUFAN SHEHAB, SAYING: "Because she's guilty in a genocide. She's supporting the funding. She goes on public TV. They send text messages saying, 'I'm pro Israel, I'm supporting Israel.' They're saying, 'I'm supporting the killing of your people.' Why would I support, why would I vote for her? I voted for her and Bid
  • Embargoed: 14th November 2024 03:09
  • Keywords: AAPAC Arab Arab Americans Dearborn Donald Trump Gaza Jill Stein Joe Biden Kamala Harris Lebanon coffee voters war women
  • Location: DEARBORN, MICHIGAN, UNITED STATES
  • City: DEARBORN, MICHIGAN, UNITED STATES
  • Country: US
  • Topics: North America,Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
  • Reuters ID: LVA003588630102024RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Michigan has the largest Arab American population throughout the United States and it has proved essential to Democratic victories in recent presidential elections in the swing state.
    With the 2024 election a week away, the importance of the Arab vote is lining up to be just as crucial.
    Joe Biden carried Michigan in the last race with the backing of roughly 70 percent of the Arab vote, but the upcoming race is looking to be a far taller task for Democrat Presidential Nominee, Kamala Harris.
    Support for the Democrats has fallen sharply since Israel's year-long action in Gaza.
    Members of Detroit's Arab community made clear their opposition to the Biden-Harris administration in interviews with Reuters at community events and at cafes in the city of Dearborn.
    "One million percent, I'm not voting for Harris," said Detroit mother and educator, Iniya Soufan Shehab. "Because she's guilty in a genocide. She's supporting the funding… Why would I vote for her? I voted for her and Biden four years ago. Now I feel guilty. Never again," Shehab told Reuters.
    With its cafes, many women wearing hijabs and Arabic street signs, Dearborn and its sister cities, including Hamtramck, stand out in the U.S. Midwest.
    A late August poll conducted by the Council on American-Islamic Relations advocacy group showed that in Michigan, 40% of Muslim voters backed the Green Party's Jill Stein.
    "Jill Stein is important as it relates to the Middle East because she's an anti-war candidate. And I think especially what we're seeing in the Middle East and the things that Israel is doing, it's vital to support anti-war candidates," said Palestinian-American attorney, Fadel Nabilsi.
    In the poll, Republican candidate Donald Trump got 18%, with Harris, who is Biden's vice president, trailing at 12%.
    "Arabs in the community, a lot of them are interested in voting for Trump because that way it shows the Democratic Party that they can't continue their foreign policies," said University of Michigan student, Sara Chaaban.
    For the first time in its 27 years, the Arab American Political Action Committee passed on endorsing a nominee.
    "I think mostly what I hear from people is they feel hopeless," said Mustapha Hammoud, a member of the Dearborn City Council.
    (Production by: Imad Creidi, Dan Fastenberg)
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