What this Article is About?
This article argues that many Muslims in the U.S. were encouraged to vote as if that would bring justice, but instead they ended up supporting systems and leaders that continued war, repression, and suffering. It looks back at past elections where similar choices led to devastation for Muslim communities and says voting within the same political framework only reinforces that cycle. The article suggests that real change cannot come from picking between the same power structures but must come from building a new foundation rooted in deeper principles and collective purpose.
“Sitting at the table doesn’t make you a diner, unless you eat some of what’s on that plate… Being here in America doesn’t make you an American. Being born here in America doesn’t make you an American.” – Malcolm X
The elections are over, and now we await Trump’s inauguration in January. The dust has settled, giving us time to reflect on what has transpired-and reflection is precisely what we need. In a culture dominated by instant reactions and clickbait-driven decisions, we’ve lost the art of wisdom, the ability to pause, analyze, and act with foresight. That’s what this piece is about: stepping back from the noise to truly understand the gravity of what has unfolded.
It’s been some time since the loud call for Muslims to rise up and vote, championed by certain Muslim influencers and sheikhs appearing on YouTube and across social media. Now, they bask in the hollow satisfaction of thinking they “taught the Democrats a lesson,” that they struck some kind of blow. But the reality is far more grim. What we witnessed with the Muslim vote was nothing short of a disgraceful act of self-inflicted devastation.
Once again, Muslims in America walked blindly into a trap-a trap that has now triggered a chain of events we may never be able to undo. The same players, the same hollow promises, and once again, the call to switch sides-to vote for Trump or a third party like the Greens-as though this act of “punishment” would shake the Democrats into respecting our lives and dignity. But this wasn’t punishment; this was complicity in catastrophe. How could we fail to see the scale of destruction we were enabling?
This isn’t the first time we’ve fallen for this illusion. In 2000, a large part of the Muslim community backed George W. Bush, convinced our support would tip the scales against Al Gore. And what did we receive in return? Bush unleashed the Iraq War, spilling the blood of over a million lives-mostly Muslims-tearing nations apart, sanctioning torture through rendition programs, opening the gates of Guantanamo Bay, initiating extrajudicial killings, and subjecting Muslims here at home to relentless surveillance and suspicion. Our vote handed him the keys to a machine of oppression that ground up Muslim lives without mercy.
Now, with this election, those who cast their votes for Trump or splintered the opposition have effectively thrown their weight behind another era of destruction. They’ve pushed the button on a disaster that will rain down on us all. This isn’t just a mistake; it’s a betrayal of our own community and values-a choice that will leave scars across generations of Muslims, a tragic complicity in our own undoing.
The genocide in Gaza continues and will continue under Trump. As we brace ourselves for the fallout, it’s worth remembering that this isn’t the first time we’ve been here, duped by empty promises and symbolic gestures. The allure of political change has drawn us in before, with leaders dressed up as saviors but bearing the same tools of violence and control.
Change We Can Believe In?
After Bush came Obama, the poster child of political change, with his slogan “Change We Can Believe In.” Muslims believed that the tide was turning. Wars would end, civil liberties would be restored, and drones would no longer rain down on Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Somalia, leaving weddings intact and children alive. Obama even flew to Cairo to talk about “a new beginning.” He addressed the Muslim world with “Assalaamu alaykum.” We applauded; we believed him.
We sat at the table with hope in our hearts, thinking that being allowed to sit at the table meant real change was coming. But Obama didn’t stop the wars-he expanded them. More bombs rained down on Muslim countries under Obama than under Bush, and more civilians were killed by drones during his presidency than during Bush’s entire administration. His administration orchestrated regime change in Libya, plunging the country into chaos. And when Bashar unleashed chemical weapons on his own people in Syria, committing genocide, it was the Obama administration that stood by, shielding him from retribution.
And let’s not forget the surveillance programs targeting Muslims at home, quietly maintained under the banner of “national security.” Change? What change? Malcolm X warned us about this. Getting invited to the master’s table isn’t a victory when the food being served is your own destruction. Have we seriously fallen for it again?
