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Thousands of Americans have protested nationwide after the U.S. air strike on Iran's top military general at the beginning of 2020 that was directed by President Donald Trump, current commander in chief. This air strike and current Middle East crisis could have an effect on many Muslims who are considering their favorite for the 2020 presidential election. A person that wins the election, a future commander in chief, is going to have the authority to affect relations between U.S. and the Middle East in the future. Maybe the next President will prevent any further conflict that could lead to a war. This is why Muslim American voters are considering candidates' records on war together with their policies and attitude towards Muslims.
Senator Bernie Sanders, Democratic presidential candidate, pointed out his vote against the invasion of Iraq as a crucial part of his record; pledging to do whatever he can to prevent war with Iran and further evolving of Middle East conflict. “We must do more than just stop war with Iran,” Sanders said this month, as The Religion News Service Reports. “We must firmly commit to ending U.S. military presence in the Middle East in an orderly manner. We must end our involvement in the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen. We must bring our troops home from Afghanistan.”
This is why Sanders is becoming a top choice for many Muslim American voters. He was one of only two Democratic presidential candidates, together with Julian Castro, to address the Islamic Society of North America Convention in August, the largest annual gathering of Muslim Americans in the country. According to The Religion News Service, Shabana Mir, an associate professor at the American Islamic College in Chicago, said that Senator Bernie Sanders' willingness to help curb America's global role and his "long and highly consistent record in domestic and foreign policy" have made him a top choice for her and many other Muslim voters.
Besides Sanders, other Democratic candidates have also won over Muslim voters through their policies and engagement. Former Vice President Joe Biden, for example, pushed the Obama administration to reduce troop levels in Afghanistan for years and now he has launched a volunteer-led Muslims for Biden affinity group. One of Biden's supporters is Khizr Khan, the Gold Star father of U.S. Army Capt. Humayun Khan, who was killed during the Iraq War. Khizr Khan hosted Muslim events at mosques and around the country as a Biden surrogate.
