AhlulBayt News Agency: As the US congressional midterm elections approach, Muslim organizations and prominent figures are launching a broad campaign to mobilize Muslim voters against Donald Trump’s policies. Washington’s support for Israel, the war against Iran and rising Islamophobia are among the main concerns driving the campaign.
Muslims and Islamic organizations across the United States have launched a campaign to increase political participation ahead of the congressional midterm elections and challenge the policies of President Donald Trump’s administration.
Opposition to Washington’s support for Israel, the war against Iran, growing Islamophobia and the administration’s tightening immigration policies are among the campaign’s central themes.
Muslim discontent with Trump: From Israel support to the war against Iran
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), one of the country’s leading Muslim civil rights organizations, has issued a call urging eligible voters to participate in the elections scheduled for Tuesday.
A CAIR poll published on October 28, which surveyed 861 American Muslims, found that 84 percent of respondents disapproved of Trump’s performance, while only 6 percent expressed approval. The survey also found that 72 percent intended to vote for Democratic candidates.
According to the same poll, 89 percent of Muslim respondents said candidates’ positions on Gaza were “very important” or “extremely important” in shaping their voting decisions.
The figures suggest that the Trump administration’s support for Israel during the war in Gaza, along with Washington’s position on the war against Iran, has become a major factor shaping the political views of a significant segment of American Muslims.
CAIR has also reported receiving 8,683 complaints related to discrimination against Muslims and Arabs in 2025, the highest number recorded since the organization began publishing the figures in 1996.
Alongside civil rights organizations, several Muslim scholars in the United States have urged the community to take part in the elections.
Yasir Qadhi, a prominent Muslim scholar, called on American Muslims to use their civic rights to support candidates who defend freedom and justice and oppose genocide around the world. Citing the rise of anti-Muslim sentiment in US political discourse, he described electoral participation as a civic and social responsibility.
Omar Suleiman, president of the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research, also urged Muslim voters to participate after casting his ballot early. Criticizing the political exploitation of attacks against Muslims, he said: “Voting isn’t everything, but it isn’t nothing either.”
Suleiman specifically encouraged Muslims in Texas and Michigan to vote. A critic of the Trump administration’s support for Israel and the war against Iran, he argued that Muslims should not allow political and religious attacks on their community to go unanswered through civic engagement.
Trump’s attacks on Muslim figures fuel concerns over Islamophobia
Trump’s anti-Muslim rhetoric and repeated attacks on Muslim public figures have also become a focus of criticism from Islamic organizations.
At a recent campaign rally in Michigan, the US president reportedly targeted Abdul El-Sayed, a Muslim candidate in the state’s Senate race.
Trump has also repeatedly directed insulting remarks at Ilhan Omar, a Muslim congresswoman from Minnesota, and the Somali immigrant community.
Michigan and Minnesota emerge as key states for Muslim voters
Michigan and Minnesota are among the most significant states where Muslim voters could influence the upcoming elections.
In Michigan, cities such as Dearborn, Dearborn Heights and Hamtramck are home to sizable Muslim and Arab American communities. El-Sayed is running for the Senate against Republican candidate Mike Rogers. If elected, he could become the first Muslim senator in US history.
In Minnesota, the large Somali American community and the political activity of figures such as Ilhan Omar have made the state a focus of attention for political groups and Islamic organizations.
The current mobilization follows the influence of Muslim and Arab American voters during the 2024 US presidential election. At that time, some voters withheld support from Democratic candidates because of the Biden administration’s backing of Israel during the Gaza war.
The polling cited in the report suggests that dissatisfaction with Trump’s policies on Palestine, Iran, immigration and Muslim rights is now reshaping the political calculations of this community.
CAIR estimates that more than three million Muslims in the United States are eligible to register and participate in elections. In closely contested states, this voting bloc could play a decisive role in some tight races.
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