MAPAC Endorses John F. Kerry for President
Muslim American choice in 2004:
Senator John F. Kerry for President

The non-partisan Muslim American Political Action Committee (MAPAC) has
formally endorsed Senator John F. Kerry for his bid for the Presidency in
2004. This decision comes after months of considerations, discussions with
Muslim American leaders across the country, and extensive dialog with the
Kerry campaign and the Democratic Party leadership.

In a statement, Mukit Hossain, President of MAPAC, stated, "What does it
mean for Muslim Americans if President Bush is re-elected? It means more
constricting laws and policies to curtail the civil liberties of the Muslim
Americans, and harsher foreign policies toward Muslim countries - in the
name of combating terrorism. It also means a continuing and menacing rise of
anti-Muslim sentiment in America, covertly nurtured by the Neoconservatives,
and openly fanned by government officials like Lt. General Boykin and
Attorney General John Ashcroft.

"Since Senator Kerry is not controlled by religious and political
ideologues, the possibility of an open and productive dialog with the Kerry
administration for the Muslim Americans remains alive. The Kerry campaign
has already shown an eagerness to be inclusive, and an inclination to engage
in such a dialog.

"So, the only viable option open to the Muslim Americans is to strongly
support John Kerry and assert ourselves as an important part of the
electorate - as the swing votes in the battleground states, we are poised to
do so. At the same time, before the election, we must extensively strive to
impress on the Kerry campaign the crucial importance of the Muslim American
voters through active engagement."

MAPAC - in cooperation with the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation -
has been creating a database of the Muslim American voters in the
battleground states and other states where there are large presence of the
community. According to preliminary findings, battleground states like
Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida have enough Muslim American votes
to provide a formidable swing bloc. MAPAC intends to use the data for
aggressive campaigns until the Election Day in hotly contested areas.  The
details of the new databases will soon be made public.

MAPAC was formed on July 4, 2004, in Washington, DC, as a federal political
action committee (PAC) to boost political participation and empowerment of
Muslim Americans. The organizers of MAPAC have considerable experience in
mobilizing Muslim American voters at state level under the umbrella of state
PACs.

MAPAC is also working with several Congressional and Senatorial candidates,
and plans to formally announce endorsing them.