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Michigan’s 100,000 ‘Uncommitted’ Votes Challenge Biden’s Israel Stance

Wednesday, 28 February 2024 04:23 PM EST

President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign faces an arduous task uniting his party after Michigan Democrats waged a massive protest vote over his support of Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza. With 95% of the votes counted, Biden won Tuesday’s primary with 81%, but 13%, or more than 100,000 people, cast “uncommitted” ballots in a state where a large Arab American community and other progressive Democrats vented their anger at Biden’s support of an Israeli offensive in which tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed.

Neither Biden nor Vice President Kamala Harris mentioned Gaza or Israel in their statements on Michigan’s results, an omission that drew criticism from organizers of the uncommitted vote effort.

The results showed Biden’s “core group of supporters are still behind him,” a Biden campaign official said on Wednesday.

“This doesn’t mean we will ignore the Arab American and Muslim American population. We will not. We are not taking anyone for granted,” the official said.

The official said the president was working to build lasting peace in the Middle East. “He’s not approaching this issue as a politician but as commander-in-chief.”

Democrats, overall, support Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict by 61%, February polling by Harvard-Harris shows. Just over 101,000 voters cast uncommitted ballots, far more than the 10,000 organizers said they sought and prompting some to speak of plans for a nationwide movement. When Democratic President Barack Obama ran for re-election in 2012, he faced about 21,000 uncommitted voters in Michigan’s primary that year. The votes are enough to send two ‘uncommitted’ delegates to the Democrats’ national convention in August.

“Our delegation plans to hold the Democratic nominee accountable to our community’s anti-war agenda at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago” in August, said Listen to Michigan, one of the groups behind the uncommitted vote.

MICHIGAN THE EPICENTER OF BACKLASH

Biden’s early and strident support of Israel and his refusal to condition military aid on not killing innocent people or destroying infrastructure sparked outrage and a well-organized backlash with Michigan as the epicenter. That anger has grown as deaths climbed in Gaza, famine looms and much of the 2.3 million population became homeless.

Michigan organizers want Biden to push for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and halt aid to Israel. They have signaled they might stay home rather than vote for Biden in November’s general election.

The Biden administration has become more critical of Israel over time. The White House in mid-February proposed a temporary ceasefire resolution at the U.N. Security Council and Biden publicly mentioned the idea, but the administration vetoed another measure calling for a permanent ceasefire.

Late on Monday, Biden said Israel had agreed to halt military activities in Gaza for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan expected to begin on the evening of March 10, as Hamas studied a draft for a truce that includes a prisoner-hostage exchange. Nonetheless, Hamas and Israel appear far apart on a deal.

White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden remained committed to a hostage deal accompanied by a temporary ceasefire. “The president understands how painful this moment is to many people,” Jean-Pierre said on Wednesday.

Hamas fighters killed 1,200 people and captured 253 on Oct. 7, according to Israeli tallies, triggering Israel’s air and ground assault on Hamas-ruled Gaza. Health authorities in the enclave say nearly 30,000 Palestinians have been killed since.

Michigan Democratic officials vowed to do more to win over voters after Tuesday’s results. Biden won Michigan by less than a 3% margin in 2020, and some opinion polls show the likely Republican candidate Donald Trump ahead in a head-to-head matchup in the state this time. Michigan has some 200,000 Arab American voters, more than Biden’s slim 155,000 margin of victory in 2020.

“Tomorrow is the first day of this general election,” Michigan Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II told volunteers for Biden as results rolled in on Tuesday night.

“We are not afraid of people participating in democracy. We are not afraid of voters. We are not afraid of people who are ready to speak out in good faith, in good conscience because they have good intentions,” he said.

Biden Michigan campaign manager Mike Frosolone told party organizers their efforts would pivot to the general election effort in the state, with door knocking, phone banking and the opening of several offices statewide.

“We know when voters see President Biden and Donald Trump’s record side by side, they’re going to choose President Biden,” he said. He said Biden would lay out this case in his State of the Union address on March 7.

Biden, 81, faces low general approval ratings and concern about his age, as does Trump, 77. If Trump is reelected, he is expected to be a strong supporter of Israel and its right-wing prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll published on Tuesday found “extremism” is the top worry for American voters going into the 2024 election, besting the economy or immigration, and that most judge Biden better equipped to deal with the issue.

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Political

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Commentary: As a former Muslim, I believe in faith in the public square

Commentary By Hedieh Mirahmadi, Exclusive Columnist| Thursday, July 29, 2021

When I first became a Christian, I looked forward to a quiet life, basking in the love and beauty of having met my Lord and Savior.

Since I spent most of my adult life deeply engrossed in political battles over one issue or another, and serving my country in ways that were quite dangerous, the prospect of serenity was quite appealing. It was not more than three months that went by before the Lord gave me the vision for my ministry so others could experience the redemptive power of Christ.

At first, I wanted to ignore the call and pretend I didn’t hear it correctly. Starting a ministry and being public with my Christian faith meant I could be attacked or even physically harmed by Muslims seeking to impose the penalty of apostasy. It meant I was going back into battle. However, the Lord was relentless.

The inspirations came to me like a flood nearly every day, and then I heard the words, “Hedieh, you are battle-tested, combat-ready.” It made me laugh out loud because it was so true. My whole life and career were preparing me for this new mission to spread the Gospel at a time when being a follower of Christ is increasingly under attack.

I have lived and worked in places where I escaped the outbreak of civil war, was shot at in the marketplace, and nearly lost my toes from frostbite because the heating in our compound turned off. The Lord took all the inner fortitude and discipline of my past and combined it with the courage and strength that comes from being in relationship with Him.

He was using it all so I can serve the Kingdom. Whether it is writing columns and doing radio interviews, or witnessing to my hairstylist and speaking out at a School Board meeting, my faith in Christ is at the forefront of all that I do. I often remember the Scripture, “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops,” (Mathew 10:27).

Some would say my enthusiasm stems from being a relatively new Christian, but I beg to differ. I had the good fortune of listening to former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at church last week, and he made it so clear why all Americans should think of our faith in this way.

Mr. Pompeo talked about being an openly devout Christian during his time as Secretary of State, and how it informed all he did. Though being asked ‘how does being a Christian impact your life?’ often had a negative connotation, that was irrelevant to him. He responds with conviction and recounts his words that are clearly meant to inspire us:

“[Our faith] impacts everything you do; it informs every action that you take. It impacts how you think about the world, how you interact with people, and every day in your work life. Our founders believed deeply this was right and that the capacity to exercise our religion freely was important, and it mattered. …My oath was to the nation, I raised my right hand and swore that I would support defend the American Constitution, but I knew that if I did that with the Lord in my heart, I’d be more successful at delivering on that very outcome.”

Whether it was President Sisi in Egypt or Chairman Kim of North Korea, world leaders respected him for it, and there is nothing un-American or unbiblical about it. In his seminal speech in Cairo, he began the remarks saying, “I’m Mike Pompeo, and I’m an evangelical Christian.” His speechwriters tried to remove it, but he insisted on keeping it in. He knew it was essential not because he wanted to talk about Christianity in a Muslim nation, but he wanted them to understand that the believers of Christ wanted good things for people everywhere and that it’s our responsibility to be faithful, no matter where we are. There is not one line that gets him more questions or comments about even to this day. Leaders of every faith, Christians, Jews, and Muslims worldwide, say they appreciated his honesty. They appreciated that he kept faith in the public square. They admired the discipline with which he practiced his faith. They appreciated his courage to talk about his values so they could better understand how our nations could work alongside each other to deliver better lives for people across the world.

Though some US officials criticized his openness, it never deterred him. Unfortunately, many government representatives wrongly interpret that the First Amendment prohibits talking about faith, but it does not. The freedom of religion is meant to protect the rights of people of all faiths to practice their religion without encroachment from the government. In my experience, it is a lack of religious conviction in our government officials that has led to disastrous policy decisions.

I will never forget being in a closed-door meeting at the White House during the Obama Administration, where a small group of us was invited to address the President on “countering violent extremism.” After nearly an hour of our passionate pleas and recommendations for stricter policies towards state sponsors of terrorism and other stringent measures, the President says he didn’t “get religion” and would not let people drag him into a war over it. Quite frankly, this sentiment explains why he did virtually nothing about the explosion of violence in the Middle East during his tenure. Suppose many of our senior US diplomats cannot appreciate the impact religion has on the way people live their lives and determine their priorities. How then can we properly represent our country as a nation founded on Judeo-Christian values?

Secretary Pompeo went on to say, “There’s no separation between faith and country because God governs in the affairs of men. Our success depends on virtuous people. Wherever that is— volunteering in the parking lot at church or serving in government. Our faith should form our character and inform our opinions.”

Being a Christian should be part of whatever we do. It’s not proselytizing; it is a belief that whatever religion someone believes in, they should be allowed to practice it freely. Hopefully, they will find the power of Christ revealed to them. If our faith is not public and visible, how can we call others to faith in Christ? It is not just about being a good person.

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? (Romans 10:14)

I am eternally grateful for receiving salvation after practicing Islam freely in the US for decades. I also cherish the freedom to share my new faith with others. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, forit is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes,” (Romans 1:16).

Hedieh Mirahmadi was a devout Muslim for two decades working in the field of national security before she experienced the redemptive power of Jesus Christ and has a new passion for sharing the Gospel. She dedicates herself full-time to Resurrect Ministry, an online resource that harnesses the power of the Internet to make salvation through Christ available to people of all nations, and her daily podcast LivingFearlessDevotional.com.

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Opinion, Religion, Spiritual

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Christian Teen Who Refused to Deny Christ Subjected to Female Genital Mutilation by Muslim Radicals

Reported By Leah Marieann Klett ( news@gospelherald.com ) Feb 07, 2017 01:18 PM EST

URL of the original posting site: http://www.gospelherald.com/articles/69563/20170207/muslim-subject-christian-teen-female-genital-mutilation-refused-deny-christ.htm#closepopup

Muslims radicals punished the daughter of a Christian missionary for her faith by subjecting her to brutal female genital mutilation. Currently, the young woman remains in a coma, struggling for her life. Siegfried Modola/Reuters

Muslims radicals punished the daughter of a Christian missionary for her faith by subjecting her to brutal female genital mutilation. Currently, the young woman remains in a coma, struggling for her life.

Lydia, the 14-year-old daughter of Yoonus, a missionary working with Bibles for Mideast, was walking home from school in West Africa when a group of Muslim fanatics captured her and violently circumcised her. After the mutilation, they abandoned her, leaving her bleeding and screaming in agony. A local secret believer heard Lydia’s screams, and took her to hospital. However, by the time she arrived she was in a life-threatening coma. Currently, the young girl is struggling for her life.

According to Bible for Mideast, a ministry that operates in the Middle East, Asia and Africa by giving away Bibles, evangelizing the lost and planting churches, Lydia was targeted for her faith, as she “boldly proclaimed Jesus as the Son of God” and “loved to speak of how He died on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead to save everyone from sin and death.”

Her father, originally from another part of Africa, had been a Muslim scholar who converted to Christianity after having a vision of Jesus Christ. Due to severe persecution in their native village, however, the entire family had to flee to their current home.

The local Muslim community recently learned Yoonus had left Islam and was now leading Muslims to Christ. Angered, the Imam of the local mosque, along with community leaders, urged him to return to Islam and promised to give him gifts if he rejected Christianity. However, Yoonus and his family refused to renounce their faith, resulting in increased persecution.

Bibles for Mideast has asked the international community to continue to pray for Yoonus and Lydia, the believers in West Africa, and the medical staff looking after her.

According to the World Health Organization, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is an illegal practice that involves the partial or total removal of the female external genitalia for non medical reasons. The ritual, which can cause severe bleeding, infections, as well as complications in childbirth, is carried out for various reasons, such as the belief that the procedure reduces a woman’s libido and decreases the risk of extramarital sexual affairs, and is linked to African non-Christian religions and traditions.

UNICEF data reveals that more than 200 million girls and women alive today have been cut in 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. FGM is mostly carried out on girls and infants below the age of 15 – often by their own mothers – and is considered a violation of human rights.

Voice of America notes that the U.N. Population Fund and U.N. Children’s Fund have been supporting 17 countries in a Joint Program on Female Genital Mutilation since 2008. As part of the Sustainable Development Goals, the United Nations has called for an end to FGM by 2030. To do this, U.N. officials have said governments must work together to enact and enforce laws and policies that “protect the rights of girls and women and prevent FGM,” that those at risk have greater access to support services, and that families and communities take action and refuse to permit their girls to undergo the practice.