Baltimore?s Muslim community sought to raise its own political clout and the electoral activism of its thousands of members with a weekend candidate forum that gave some of its biggest applause to a Jewish professor running for U.S. Senate.
Despite radio advertising and promotion, only about 100 people showed up Saturday at the Islamic Society of Baltimore, a hall in Woodlawn that sometimes fills with 2,000 people for Friday services.
“We need to have as many people who are here for Friday prayer to be here to hear the candidates,” said Bassam Sayad, one of the disappointed organizers.
Allan Lichtman, an American University history professor, was a crowd-pleaser with his attacks on the Patriot Act and its reauthorization ? legislation that one of his opponents, Rep. Ben Cardin, had voted for, he said.
“We have to stop the war in Lebanon as well,” Lichtman said, again generating loud applause. “We cannot blast our way to peace, democracy and stability.”
Kweisi Mfume, former president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, talked about historical discrimination against minority groups, including Muslims, and agreed with Lichtman?s call for an immediate cease-fire in Lebanon. Both men criticized the absence of Cardin, who attended a Democratic Party statewide campaign kickoff in New Carrolton, as they had.
Cardin was campaigning in Montgomery County on Saturday, and was represented by his nephew, Del. Jon Cardin.
Andy Barth, Democratic candidate for Congress in the 3rd District, took some heat from a dwindling crowd for his support of Israel in the latest conflict, as did Republican Paul Spause for his support of U.S. policy in Iraq.
