Date Posted: Monday, October 13, 2003

Republican Virginia Delegate Richard Black was recently the target of a campaign by his opponent accusing him of ties to "terrorists".

By Hannah Abdullah

WASHINGTON, Oct 13 (MASNET) - In an apparent sign that Muslims are gaining political clout in American politics, candidates in one local Virginia race are shaping their campaigns in order to attract their votes.

State Delegate Richard Black, an incumbent running for re-election in November, is reaching out to thousands of registered Muslim voters in his district. 

Black, a Republican who has served in the Virginia state legislature since 1998, sent out campaign literature this month attacking his opponent for running a “mean-spirited campaign”. The flier reported that candidate Patti Morrissey “attacked minorities that support her opponent branding them ‘terrorists’”.

The campaign literature was referring to a controversial “push poll,” in which Morrissey supporters asked voters how they felt about Black “receiving thousands of dollars from companies and people suspected of having financial ties to terrorist groups.”

Although Morrissey campaign workers were not specific, the question was evidently referring to Black’s supporters in the Muslim community. Some members of the Muslim community in the region have come under federal scrutiny.

In March 2002, agents representing U.S. Customs and other federal agencies, raided several Muslim-affiliated organizations and individuals in Northern Virginia. The raids, dubbed “Operation Green Quest,” were part of an investigation into organizations and individuals with possible financial ties to “terrorist groups”. The probe has thus far failed to produce any charges and Muslim leaders have since criticized the investigation, calling it a “witchhunt”.

The Loudoun County Democratic Party passed a resolution in 2002, condemning the raids, in which agents are accused of ransacking the homes and businesses targeted. The government was also criticized for unnecessarily handcuffing suspects, particularly Muslim women.

Black, who had attended several Muslim functions prior to the raids, won additional support from the community after he sent a “strongly worded” letter to U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, protesting their treatment.

The Virginia delegate, according to the Loudoun Times-Mirror, received campaign contributions from some targeted in the raid, including $5,000 from Aradi Inc., and $2,000 from Sterling Management Group. Other local politicians reportedly returned campaign contributions from Muslim groups and individuals, but Black did not, according to one local activist.

In the past, other politicians have used donations from Muslim individuals and organizations to attack their opponents. In the 2000 New York Senate elections candidate Rick Lazio used the issue of Muslim campaign contributions to publicly attack his opponent, Hillary Rodham Clinton, in the local media.

After a New York tabloid published an article titled, “Israel Foes Give Hil 50G: Muslim Group Backs Palestinian Use of Force,” Clinton appeared at a news conference with representatives of Jewish groups at her side to announce she would return the money.

But unlike the New York race, Morrissey’s attempt to publicize Muslim support for her opponent has apparently backfired. Political activists publicly blasted Morrissey through media interviews and letters to local newspapers, saying her tactics were divisive.

“In the highly sensitized world of post-9/11, any politician who tries to divide the community further - rather than help it heal - and tries to profit from a great national tragedy doesn’t deserve to hold office,” said Mukit Hossain, president of the Platform for Active Civil Empowerment (PACE), a Muslim American PAC, in a recently published interview with the Times-Mirror.

Although her campaign has denied that the “push-pull” question was intended to malign Muslims in general, Morrissey has since apologized.

“I sincerely apologize for inadvertently creating an additional sense of fear for good Muslim-Americans,” Morrissey wrote in a letter to PACE.  She also phoned Hossain, who said she wanted to know what she could do to “make amends.”

“I told her that she must apologize for the poll she had conducted. I also added that Islam forbids Muslims to be vengeful and we have no vendetta against her,” said Hossain. 

“Muslims are kind and forgiving, and do not deserve the rubbish they are frequently subject to in the media and other circles.”

Despite the apologies, Black plans to continue campaigning on the issue, and this week, will distribute campaign literature quoting area politicians who have come out against the poll.

“Patti Morrissey is actually the minority outreach coordinator for her party,” said Black.  “She is keenly aware of what she’s doing, and she made a calculated decision to hurt an entire community.”

The Muslim vote in this race could prove to be crucial this November. In Loudoun County, PACE has a database of more than 8,000 registered Muslim voters. Morrissey, in her first bid against Black in 2001, lost by less than 3,000 votes. If a majority of Muslim voters turn out to the polls in November, they may help to deliver another decisive victory for the Virginia politician.

Activists see growing Muslim political empowerment as a major milestone.

“Alhamdulillah, this is a great achievement for our community - to be able to hold candidates responsible for unfair attacks on the Muslims and make them apologize,” said Hossain. “We have succeeded in reaching this result while making her [Morrissey] sympathetic about [Muslims’] issues - rather than antagonize her.”