Many Muslim figures in the United States publicly supported Donald Trump during his campaign. A way of protesting against the Biden administration’s support for Israel, its war in Gaza and the bombings that are destroying Lebanon, while Donald Trump repeatedly repeats that he will end the conflict in the Middle East, without really explaining how. These same Muslim leaders are now deeply disappointed with the choice of secretaries of state who will make up the future Trump government.
“Trump won because of us, and we are not satisfied with his choice of secretaries of state,” declared Rabiul Chowdhury, a Philadelphia investor and co-founder of Muslims for Trumpto the British news agency Reuters.
Pro-Israeli profiles
While the Muslim vote has, according to political analysts, helped the president-elect win some swing states (those key states which swing the election) like Michigan, Donald Trump chose Republican Senator Marco Rubio, a fervent supporter of Israel who opposed a ceasefire in the Middle East, for the post of secretary of state.
Among the appointments which provoke indignation in the Muslim community, we also include Mike Huckabee, appointed Donald Trump’s ambassador to Israel. The former governor of Arkansas is a staunch conservative who supports the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and has always rejected the idea of a Palestinian state; he also opposes a two-state solution, saying that “there really are no Palestinians.” Just like Pete Hegseth, the veteran and star presenter of the Fox News channel chosen to lead the Pentagon, who has also opposed a two-state solution several times on live television. The former Marine advocated for the reconstruction of a biblical Jewish temple on the site of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites.
Another problematic personality for the Muslim community: the United States ambassador to the United Nations, Elise Stefanik, who opposed the financing of UNRWA, the reception and relief organization for Palestinians in Gaza, before accusing the UN of creating anti-Semitism by condemning the deaths in Gaza.
Emotion and disappointment within the Muslim community
Since these appointments, made by the president-elect over the last week, there has been great excitement among Muslims. Rexhinaldo Nazarko, executive director of the American Muslim Engagement and Empowerment Network (Ameen), said Muslim voters hope Donald Trump will choose cabinet officials who work toward peace. “We are very disappointed. It seems that this administration has been completely filled with neoconservatives and pro-Israel and pro-war people,” the Muslim figure told Reuters.
“We have always been extremely skeptical… It seems that our community has been misled,” responded Hassan Abdel Salam, former professor at the University of Minnesota and co-founder of the campaign. “Abandonment Harris” against Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
Intensive campaign among Arab-American populations
The hopes of the Muslim community are not yet dashed: many hope to see an important role given to Richard Grenell, Donald Trump’s former director of national intelligence, who has done months of outreach to Muslim and Arab communities. -American, and was at one point presented as a potential next Secretary of State. A nomination was also expected for Massad Boulos, Lebanese businessman and father-in-law of Tiffany, Donald Trump’s daughter, who has also worked to involve the Arab-American community, organizing dozens of meetings in high-density regions. Arab population.
The campaign teams and the candidate himself carried out significant lobbying in this community. At a rally in Dearborn, a majority-Arab city in Michigan, Donald Trump said he loved Muslims, while in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he called Muslims a “beautiful movement.” “They want peace,” said the future president-elect. “They want stability.”
Conversely, the Jewish Republican coalition, organizer of Donald Trump’s campaign in Michigan, openly welcomes the appointment of the new Trumpist ministers, reports the American news agency Associated Press. For Sam Markstein, political director of the group, the composition of the new government is a real “pro-Israeli dream team”.