Tim Walz to Muslim voters in push before election: 'Our hearts are broken'
Source: The Guardian
Thu 3 Oct 2024 22.11 EDT
Last modified on Fri 4 Oct 2024 09.02 EDT
In a final push to engage Muslim voters ahead of the election, Tim Walz called for the end of the war in Gaza and pledged that, if elected, the Harris administration would work “side by side” with Muslim Americans. The Democratic vice-presidential candidate joined Muslim advocacy group Emgage Action’s Million Muslim Votes: A Way Forward virtual summit the day after the vice-presidential debate.
During his speech, Kamala Harris’s running mate acknowledged a collective grief among Muslim and Arab American communities due to Israel’s war on Gaza, where more than 42,000 Palestinians have been killed since 7 October. “Our hearts are broken,” Walz said.
“The scale of death and destruction in Gaza is staggering and devastating. Tens of thousands of innocent civilians killed, families fleeing for safety over and over again. We all know on here, this war must end and it must end now. The vice-president’s working everyday to ensure that, to make sure Israel is secure, the hostages are home, the suffering in Gaza ends now. And the Palestinian people realize the right to dignity, freedom and self determination.”
In the online meeting, the governor of Minnesota also highlighted his connection to the Muslim community in his state. “Here in Minnesota, I’ve got the privilege to represent an incredible and vibrant Muslim community,” Walz said as light streamed through a large window behind him. He shared that he and his wife, Gwen, held the first iftar, the fast-breaking evening meal during Ramadan, at the Minnesota governor’s residence in 2019. And last year, Walz also passed interest-free down payment assistance for first-generation homebuyers to increase homeownership among Muslim Americans.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/03/tim-walz-muslim-voters