Muslims and the 2008 Election

Panelists discuss emerging role of Muslims in American politics

By David Jarmul and Andrea Fereshteh

Friday, October 17, 2008

Durham, NC -- About 50 scholars and students gathered Friday afternoon to discuss how Muslim Americans are likely to vote in next month's election. Sponsored by the Duke Islamic Studies Center, the seminar in the library's Breedlove Room considered how these voters compare with other groups and how their views have evolved since Sept. 11, 2001.

Speakers discussed the presidential debates and other recent events, as well as their own research and experiences. Political scientists Kerry Haynie and Brendan Nyhan and sociologist Jen'nan Read gave the opening talks.

Read said that prior to 2001, Muslims were generally not politically mobilized. “After 9/11 they became much more mobilized -- they had to because they needed a voice in American politics,” she said.

Read said she questioned whether Muslims based their voting decision on their religious identity, as is frequently portrayed in public discussions. "There is a widespread misperception that Muslims are very different than other Americans,” she said. “That is a social construction people have created to make Muslim identity the most important identity."

The political scientists said Muslims may emerge as the new “race politics.”

"Muslim Americans may be the new African-Americans in American politics,” Haynie said. “Both political parties are afraid to embrace Muslim-American voters like they are afraid to reach out for black voters. … Statistics show that if political parties rely on or reach out to black voters, they ultimately lose white voters.”

Nyhan, who studies the political consequences of correcting misperceptions, said it’s difficult for Sen. Barack Obama to counter erroneous comments that he is Muslim.

"Obama runs the risk of reinforcing the belief that he is Muslim just by talking about the issue in general," Nyhan said.