Over the election cycle the leaders and spokesmen of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) took full advantage of the unorthodox candidacy of president-elect Donald Trump to fuel their usual arguments about a bigoted, “Islamophobic” America.
But could it be that much of their overheated rhetoric was just for show and that actually the Islamists see more than enough silver lining in a Trump victory?
1. This is a HUGE Opportunity for Fundraising.
Here was CAIR-Dallas/Fort Worth executive director Alia Salem reminding supporters to give to local offices, not just CAIR-National:
2. The election confirms a useful narrative: that America is an inherently racist country, and that “Islamophobia” is an extension of the same primitive mindset.
CAIR-Michigan executive director Dawud Walid can always be counted on to filter all news through a “What Would Malcolm X Say?” paradigm. This election season was no different, with him asserting that “Millions of white supremacists and nationalists got Trump the victory. This is what America is.”
3. Many Islamists – especially those in the rank-and-file of the movement – preferred Bernie Sanders to Hillary Clinton.
Here’s CAIR-Connecticut executive director Mongi Dhaouadi pinning the blame on the “Democratic establishment” for pushing Clinton:
And here’s Zahra Billoo, CAIR-San Francisco executive director, openly proclaiming her third party vote:
Compare the two groups of Islamists who donated to Clinton and those who supported Sanders and a clear pattern emerges. Sanders received many more donations of a small size: 242 donations totaling $9,485, making for an average donation of $39. Clinton received $67,656 in 163 donations, $415 the average. It may be that the Islamist leaders out in the field, working at the grassroots level, preferred one candidate and the Islamist board members in the background with the money to fund campaigns and CAIR chapters preferred another.
4. Trump is at least more likely to provide comic relief than another round of the Clintons.
CAIR-AZ executive director Imraan Siddiqi likes to use humor to make his ideological opponents look ridiculous.
See any other unusual Islamist reactions to the election? Send them to me at Swindle@MEForum.org.
