United Arab Emirates and Muslim leaders expressed anger at Michigan after President Joe Biden skipped a meeting with the groups during his visit to Michigan on Thursday, NBC News reports. .
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud, a Democrat, said he had not heard from the White House before Biden’s visit to Saginaw. according to To the outlet. He also reportedly mentioned that local Arab American and Muslim communities want real policy changes rather than further consultation with Biden’s team.
“I think the community perspective is dialogue for the sake of dialogue, and it doesn’t really mean anything. What we’re looking for is action, because lip service doesn’t get us anywhere,” Hammoud said. NBC News reported. “We’ve seen a shift in tone where the president recognizes the suffering of the Palestinian people, but what we want is to see him actually take concrete steps to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people. ”
For the second time this year, President Joe Biden will not meet in person with members of the Arab American or Muslim community as he faces protests at campaign events over Israel’s military action in Gaza. He visited Michigan State. https://t.co/8SjcEJd3OA
— NBC News (@NBCNews) March 15, 2024
Arab and Islamic leaders are reportedly dissatisfied with the US government’s position on the Israeli-Hamas conflict. His campaign said the trip was aimed primarily at highlighting how his policies differ from Donald Trump’s on economic issues, according to NBC News. The location of the event was reportedly kept secret to prevent unrest, but protests occurred anyway. (Related: There are some big warning signs for Biden after the latest primaries)
The “Abandon Biden” campaign, led by activists including Khalid Thulani, reportedly criticized Biden’s handling of the Gaza conflict. The paper said efforts by the White House and campaign to engage with Arab American and Muslim leaders in January and February were fruitless. Community leaders’ demands reportedly included an immediate ceasefire and a tougher US stance on conditional military aid to Israel.
“I voted for Biden. In fact, I had a Biden sign in my front yard. And I’m currently co-chairing the campaign to abandon Biden. So is it on me, or is it on me? Is it in Joe Biden?” Thulaani said, according to NBC News. “I think Joe Biden’s failure to address the humanitarian crisis, the genocide that’s happening in Gaza, is just a war crime. I mean, this is just a war crime. In a perfect world, Joe Biden would also be in The Hague. And Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be one of them.”
Despite these challenges, the Biden administration continued its outreach efforts, including high-level meetings with community leaders in Chicago, the newspaper reported. According to reports, a person familiar with the details of the meeting said officials heard regional leaders speak openly about the conflict in Gaza and growing Islamophobia in the United States, and that all those invited attended the meeting. He also said that he did not attend.
According to NBC News, Michigan has a large Middle Eastern and North African population that typically supports Democrats, but the global and domestic repercussions of the Israel-Gaza war have led to Biden’s election. It is a big challenge for. As Ramadan begins, relations are reportedly further strained due to the lack of a ceasefire agreement.
