It’s hard to imagine that a group of 3.3 million adherents would have as much pull in an election as Muslims.
In the second presidential debate, one of the undecided voters in the town hall-style format was a young Muslim woman who addressed the candidates, “With Islamophobia on the rise, how will you help people like me deal with the consequences of being labeled as a threat to the country after the election is over?”
Donald Trump opened his answer by acknowledging that Islamophobia exists, “You’re right about Islamophobia, and that’s a shame… And we have to be sure that Muslims come in and report when they see something going on. When they see hatred going on, they have to report it.”
Trump admitting that Islamophobia exists is unprecedented for his campaign, as many Muslim-Americans would argue that he’s been a driving force in making anti-Muslim sentiment mainstream.
In light of Trump’s response to the question, the hashtag “Muslims Report Stuff” began trending on Twitter. There were quite a few gems too:
“Hello, I’d like to report a dangerous racist misogynist demagogue on my TV…yes, I’ll hold.” #MuslimsReportStuff #Debates
— Zainab Chaudary (@chaudary_zainab) October 10, 2016
I’m a Muslim, and I would like to report a crazy man threatening a woman on a stage in Missouri. #debate
— Moustafa Bayoumi (@BayoumiMoustafa) October 10, 2016
Terrorists. #MuslimsReportStuff pic.twitter.com/Vb8VCDu4D8
— Donna Auston (@TinyMuslimah) October 10, 2016
Despite many Muslims having already made up their minds about Donald Trump, one tweet encapsulated the confusion that went through their heads.
I’m shocked that there is an undecided Muslim voter #debate
— Shahed Amanullah (@shahed) October 10, 2016
All in all, American Muslims are tired of being grouped into the political discussion of terrorism and national security, pleading for more substantive topics where Muslims can offer their opinion.
Muslims only discussed by candidates in relation to:
– ISIS
– terrorism
– homegrown radicalizationNot victims of Islamophobia. #debate
— Khaled Beydoun (@KhaledBeydoun) October 10, 2016
Extremely disappointed to see Muslims continually being brought up in the context of terrorism & radicalization. Once again, poorly done.
— Rowaida Abdelaziz (@Rowaida_Abdel) October 10, 2016
Why can’t we talk about Muslims without talking about ISIS? We are more than that. Tired of this same old talking point. #debate
— Linda Sarsour (@lsarsour) October 10, 2016
When Trump responded to a question about Islamophobia with an answer suggesting that Muslims are the problem, it furthered the GOP shooting itself in the foot regarding attracting new voters. He previously proposed a ban on all Muslims from entering the U.S., suggested they register with the federal government, and even demeaned a Gold Star family who just so happened to be Muslim.
Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton responded to the question by saying the U.S. is “not at war with Islam,” yet her voting record as a Senator and policy agenda as Secretary of State helped fuel that narrative.
When Clinton served as a Senator, she voted for the Patriot Act and the Authorization for the Use of Military Force in 2001, and the Iraq War in 2003. As Secretary of State, Clinton pushed for the removal of Qaddafi in Libya that created a vacuum (like in Iraq) where terrorist organizations could grab a foothold. While Clinton may not have been the creator of ISIS, like Trump accused, her policies have certainly helped them grow in Iraq, Syria, and Libya.
Now, the country is faced with the decision yet again to go to war, and more innocent Muslims will have to die because of it. Yes, Muslim Americans deserve better than these two candidates.
Watch part of the debate’s focus on Islam below:
