ছবি: Trump with the Muslim community | Photo - Reuters
Rabiu Choudhury, an investor from Philadelphia, led the "Abandon Harris" campaign in Pennsylvania, which opposed Kamala Harris in the presidential election. Alongside, he co-founded the Muslims for Trump initiative. Choudhury, in his recent statement, expressed dissatisfaction with Trump’s choice of cabinet members, particularly regarding his Israel-friendly appointments. He stated that Trump’s victory was made possible due to Muslim support, but he is now unhappy with the choices being made for key roles, including Secretary of State.
The Biden administration’s support for Israel during the Gaza massacre and Lebanon attacks has led American Muslim leaders to endorse Donald Trump in the presidential race. However, the appointments Trump is considering for his cabinet are disappointing for this Muslim group, as they feature a significant number of Israel supporters.
According to political strategists, Muslim support for Trump played a crucial role in his victories in Michigan and other swing states. Choudhury, an influential figure in the Muslim community, led efforts to rally support for Trump, but now feels disillusioned with the President’s cabinet picks.
Trump has nominated Florida Senator Marco Rubio, a staunch Israel advocate, as Secretary of State. Rubio, earlier this year, stated that he would not call for a ceasefire in Gaza and supported Israel’s right to destroy Hamas completely. Similarly, Trump’s nomination of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee as the next U.S. Ambassador to Israel has raised concerns among the Muslim community. Huckabee has been a strong proponent of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and has dismissed the two-state solution as "ineffective." Additionally, Trump has nominated Republican Representative Elise Stefanik as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, who has previously labeled the U.N. as “anti-Semitic” for condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Rexinaldo Nazarko, the executive director of the American Muslim Engagement and Empowerment Network (AMEEN), voiced the frustration of Muslim voters, saying they expected Trump to appoint diplomats who would work towards peace. However, this is not reflected in the current cabinet selections, which seem to be dominated by neo-conservative, pro-Israel, war-supporting figures. Nazarko expressed disappointment, stating that the Trump administration’s approach appears to be a failure for peace and anti-war movements. Despite the disappointment, he emphasized that Muslim communities who helped Trump win would continue to make their voices heard.
Hassan Abdel Salam, co-founder of the "Abandon Harris" campaign and a former professor at the University of Minnesota, also expressed surprise at the cabinet nominations. He noted that Trump appears to be aligning more closely with Israeli hardliners, a development that many in the Muslim community had feared. He also stated that while they remain watchful of Trump’s decisions, they feel the administration has used their community for political gain.
Some Muslim and Arab supporters of Trump had hoped that Richard Grenell, who served as National Intelligence Director under Trump and maintained strong ties with Arab-American and Muslim communities during the campaign, might be appointed to a higher role, perhaps even Secretary of State. Grenell’s potential appointment was seen as an opportunity to continue Trump’s promises of bringing peace and ending wars in the Middle East. However, with recent developments, neither Grenell nor his supporters have commented on the situation.
Trump’s daughter Tiffany’s Lebanese husband, Massad Bulos, who was also a key ally in the Trump campaign and met with Arab-American and Muslim leaders, had promised that Trump would work to end Middle Eastern and other global conflicts. Yet, with the evolving political landscape, Bulos and Grenell have not made any public statements on the matter, leaving many of Trump’s Muslim and Arab supporters feeling sidelined.
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