Excellent piece Jalal. If I may add, over the past year, Mehdi has called for 'pressuring for change from within the Democratic party' after voting for them this November. Trouble is this approach in and of itself doesn't work because politicians don't have to be responsive to the sentiments of its base if it doesn't cost them at the ballot box. Almost three quarters of the Democratic base has been calling for a ceasefire (which is hardly enough for obvious reasons, but that's a separate topic) for months now. Yet, that hasn't shifted the needle substantively from a policy standpoint within the party establishment (changes in 'rhetoric' are sweet nothings) because being resoundingly pro-Israel has been the winning formula for decades.
If a sufficient numbers, particularly in MI, WI, PA, decide to sit out the election or vote Green in order to punish genocide and the Dems lose as result, OF COURSE they're not going to publicly admit it. But unless they're averse to the idea of winning in the 2026 midterms, regaining the WH in 2028 etc., they'll most certainly be having candid conversations (albeit reluctantly perhaps) behind closed doors regarding whether maintaining an unabashedly pro-Israel stance remains a winning formula. I concede that it might take more than just losing in November for them to wake them up and catch up with their base. But it sure seems to be a better bet than voting blue and 'begging' them to change course after giving up your only source of leverage.
This is not to disregard the possibility that another Trump term will be brutal. It's almost certain that the genocide will continue unabated just as it has under Biden-Harris (given Gaza is already 75 percent rubble with hundreds of thousands murdered, I don't accept the 'it will be worse' line of reasoning). It's also virtually certain that Trump will give Netanyahu the green light to do whatever he wants in Lebanon, but history has shown that US-Israel will be stuck in a quagmire if it mounts a land invasion. While presiding over this mess abroad, if he tries to implement the wider MAGA agenda at home, he's undoubtedly going to face stiff opposition in many parts from millions of Americans. And there's only so much invoking the Insurrection Act can do in the face of widespread public outrage - how many cities is he going to deploy the US Military to? Can he be certain that the entire military will disregard their oath to preserve and protect the constitution given that turning against its own citizens is a clear violation? Will military commanders across the board risk the possibility of fermenting a breakdown in its command structure and discipline within their ranks? Sure, Trump has stated his intentions with Project 2025 but it isn't a given that all 900 pages can be feasibly implemented. Medhi has eloquently explained what the Trump agenda is, but he hasn't provided a thoughtful analysis of how practicable the implementation of each and every item on that list actually is.
At the end of the day, if Mehdi is serious about 'pushing for change from within' the party, then I have the same question for him that he had for Jill Stein and Butch Ware - how does voting for Harris-Walz help end the genocide? Lay it out for us. Because we can all see that protesting and pleading without any political leverage doesn't work.
We are focusing entirely on foreign policy when discussing Trump and not thinking of other areas, especially domestic policy, for ex Covid which Mehdi mentioned
Our governments are incompetent. The sure incompetent at everything. And that’s because competency isn’t important in politics. They also do not care about the people they are supposed to serve. This is not issue specific. This is what politics has become, because the individuals in the main parties are bought and paid for. This is the problem. And that’s true in the U.S., the UK, and Canada.
It’s worth remembering that it was not always like this.
In Canada Jean Chrétien refused to join Bush’s war in Iraq. He didn’t believe the WMD story, and so he refused because he believed it was wrong. Now look at who we have…Trudeau Junior, who trips over himself trying to appease the Americans and has a cabinet full of flagrant pro-Israel and Israel-First advocates. They have also remained ineffective while Quebec (where Trudeau s are from) have implemented racist and unconstitutional laws).
The man is not competent at anything. In the same period between Chrétien and Trudeau Jr life for the average Canadian has become drastically more difficult. While once Canada attracted and welcomed immigrants and profited from their creativity, ingenuity and solid work ethic, the same immigrants are now packing their bags and leaving, because life has become too hard here. And it’s the same in the UK.
I hear what you’re saying about focusing on one issue, but I honestly believe the underlying cause applies. The cause is incompetency and immorality of the candidates that seek and succeed in politics today, wherever they are. This is what the real power holders in the world want: patsies in government who serve their corporate needs. Period.
It will never change if we keep voting for candidates who subscribe to this corrupted system, and are not focused on being competent at their job (and who don’t recognize who they should be working for…the people of their country)! It may not change until there is a revolution, and the people of the world physically reject and seek to destroy the system that not only has failed them but actively attacks and abuses them and tries to keep them weak and ignorant. One thing remains true: there are less of those corrupted elites then there are of us.
So to me, the individual issue doesn’t matter. When people show you who they are, believe them.
I think it’s a mistake to call governments incompetent. They do exactly what their masters and their ideology dictate. Don’t forget, it was Chretien’s Minister of Finance, Paul Martin, that took a huge leap down the path of a brutal austerity program that further enriched the wealthy. That wasn’t incompetence any more than Justin Trudeau’s pandering to the USA and Israel is. It’s part of their plan and competently executed.
In the US, primary responsibility for healthcare lies with the State govt. The feds have a role to play for sure, but it's secondary. To that extent, yes, with the benefit of hindsight especially, Trump handled the federal govts response to COVID poorly. He could've deployed the resources of the federal govt to provide states with more resources in a more timely manner. But the blame also extends to the states as well. And some of the poorest responses were in those run by Dems (NY for example).
It's funny how Mehdi has to resort to his most absurd statement (inject bleach or something to that order) to make his point rather than just focussing on where the federal response fell short. And what he fails to do is compare the response + outcomes to other countries with a similar system (e.g. Canada where provinces hold primary jurisdiction for healthcare). There too we saw poor coordination between different govts, shortages of testing infrastructure, PPE and the likes. Sure, if Hilary 'the hag' Clinton was in charge she wouldn't have suggested injecting bleach, but I doubt she would've fared much better on the whole.
I also think that a conversation between Mehdi and Sami should be held, so that the public see both sides easily. I support you... But many Muslims will support Mehdi not because of argument but because of personality, as he is known and have debates which sets the image that he is shrewed. So, a discussion will be good..
This is definitely needed & should happen ASAP. Sami is in the US currently, so it makes even more sense. In the conversation, Mehdi should clearly state who he is voting for
Thank you for your thoughtful response. It is the embodiment of disagreeing with your fellow brother in the deen without vilifying them. I have unfortunately heard the argument he has made from other Muslims living in America and although it’s disappointing to come across, looking at the comments section fills me with hope that conscientious voters (Muslim and otherwise) have woken up and are hungry for change. We are not naively expecting a win for a third party, but looking for some political consequence to funding and perpetuating a genocide.
Silver lining: the fact that Mehdi felt the need to hop on and post this monologue means it’s working. So to quote Sami “Keep MOVING ya Ibaad Allah”
If you never vote for the third option then there would never be a third option. Democracies desperately need third/fourth/fifth options to prevent oligopolies. I know another Trump term sounds bad but is it worth sacrificing your democratic rights in the long run? This ensures that as long as there is a clown on the other side, the democratic party can do whatever they want.
I love and respect Mehdi for all he has said over the years but this time, for the first time, I think he is dead wrong. The weaponization of Islam comments, although rooted in a good place, that's just not something anyone is trying to do. Personally, for me, it's moreso, well how could you vote for Kamala knowing that she supports genocide. Do you know she supports genocide? Help me understand how this is ok and doesn't trump any other stance she may have.
Regarding his other statements. Nobody thinks things will change right away if the green party wins or if the Dems lose. It's about enabling a future where things could eventually change. If Trump or Kamala win, Muslims lose either way. So even if we are relegated to losing, let's start the discussion for a third party. Let's enable their funding if they receive 5% of the vote, etc. This vote isn't for us. It's for our future and for our kids. The way to become part of the discussion is to have a voice in the system. Saying otherwise is flat out ridiculous.
Also blaming Trump (although it's usually completely warranted) for COVID and every one of those deaths is a reach. The American medical system is wrecked. Do you really think Hillary would have done something to make a significant difference? No.
Finally, comparing Sami to Isis, even just invoking Isis to make your point is going way too far.
I think he has a lot of looking at this subject from an outside-in, European POV and mindset. This is one instance that Mehdi should have stayed out of US politics. He has a voice, he has a lot of influence, he might have f*cked this one up for us.
I love how our Muslim young men discuss politics and educating us about. It is important to have a dialogue between different views. I knew since Oct 7 that I will not vote for any democratic president this election and just skip voting all together this time. But thank you Shielk Sammi Alhamidi for explaining to us that we can change the future by voting for Jill since we have no control over the present time.
Mahdi I like you and respect you but I am on Alhamdi side on this one.
Please it would be lovely to have both of you on the Thinking Muslim with Brother Jala
I fear what will come with Trump's presidency - there was so much destruction and instability. There was so much fear and hate. What trump has done in his previous presidency would be much more in this new one - more damaging, more fear, more hate, more hurt. I am not going to vote in a direction that may bring more destruction in Palestine. I am not going to put forward a vote that can let someone of his kind take the seat. Voting third party allows him to take the seat, even though he has already promised to do more damage. How do you not see that? I get that things need to change, but in the crux of the moment I trust anyone else in the government more than him. I can freely hate on Harris once she makes bad decisions, but she hasn't yet. Harris is not Biden - remember that. Just because Trump says it doesn't mean it is true and I can assure you that especially because he says it it is not true. He aims to take advantage of this and win not because he deserves the seat, not because he is the better person, not for any reason except taking advantage of the split in how people vote - driven by him. Remember covid? Remember the bombing of Iran? Remember George Floyd? The Muslim ban?? Do you not think that you are encouraging more harm by voting otherwise? Just because you wrote someone else's name doesn't mean that your vote won't count. In the end it is a two party system. And in the end this decision you make will add up with other decisions and either there is a possibility of a future or there isn't.
What would the people in Gaza do? What would Hamas or the Islamic Jihad do?
Accept the fate of the evil that rules their fate?
I don’t think they would do that. They haven’t done that.
There is no easy way out of this. The evil is already here and amongst us. And it’s residing the seats of power in countries all over the world.
Democracy doesn’t exist in the U.S., or any western countries. It’s a lie. The same powers control the main parties. The leaders of them come in different flavours, but they are serving the same masters.
I don’t see Harris as any different than Trump on Gaza. I don’t see Obama as any different than Trump on Gaza. None of them have done anything to help Palestinians during their time in power. And one of them will help in the future. The system is horribly broken because it is riddled with cancerous corruption of elites who serve corporate masters. Harris is no different than Trump.
I really think it’s worth asking what the Palestinians in Gaza would do. Who would they prefer to see as the next US president? And would they spend time debating who was worse for them…?
It is okay if you disagree, but I think it is incredibly naive of you to think voting otherwise would bring them comfort. I think it is stupid to believe that voting otherwise will somehow save them. Voting otherwise will being them more pain and hurt. Kamala is the only person who has a chance of winning and the only person who has not agreed with how Israel are conducting themselves. She is the only person who could turn things around. She walked out when Netanyahu spoke, refused to meet publicly with him, spoken out about how she thinks we should be handling things, her husband attended events against Israel and for support of Gaza and Palestine. Don't forget there is a lot more on the line than just Palestine. It is nieve to believe otherwise - we can't just have a one track mind. What about the people on Ukraine? The people who cross our borders? Remember how trump put them in cages and seperated the kids from their parents? What about increased violence in the US? It is not about trading one life for another, it is about making the best decision overall. And I believe that Kamala has the power to turn things around and keep us going in the right direction - for Palestine and everyone else that was and will be harmed by Trump if he were to become president.
Theres very little evidence sister to substantiate your over exuberance about Kamala except for a few fragments of cynical things she has said for the benefit of garnering a pro-gaza vote. Also I really get the impression from what you said that you do not really see genocide to be of such gravity that it’s worth punishing. It seems all the evidence that I have raised in my article about her complicity has been overlooked?
Your last comment is where we fundamentally differ in opinion. I don’t believe Kamela Harris has any power to do anything at all. She has the same masters as Biden.
All I ever need to hear from her was “We need an immediate ceasefire…….for six weeks”.
She’s playing you. She’s getting your vote.
You keep telling people in this chat they are naive. To disagree with you is not to be naive. I simply do but trust the people you trust. And over a hundred years of war in the Middle East with the British and Americans at the helm is enough for me to look at both sides of the isle and see that none of them can be trusted.
I understand what you mean. but then what do you do? Leave the US and live somewhere else? For me, the bottom line is to try and move in a better direction and to promote positive change overall. I get your frustration and mistrust. The betrayal I feel whenever I look at Biden, hear his name, or anything, brings such strong feelings of a loss of hope and faith, and feelings of disgust. Whenever I hear his chief of staff justifying his choices, etc, it brings on those feelings too. We have no power right now - we can march, we can boycott, we can speak publicly about our opinions - but nothing that can immediately turn things around. We can only chip at the block and it is sad and hurts. But when we vote, we have a lot more power than we normally do. We choose what the next four years will be and the possibilities that come with them. As US citizens, We are now in a position to focus on who we trust to have so much power. We have three options, one of them incredibly unlikely (3rd party), another a madman (living when he was president was incredibly hard and traumatic), and a third, someone that has possibility even if it is very little. I know so many people argue that it doesn't really matter in the end, and that you say that none of them can be trusted... But again - what does that leave you with? Nothing. You can choose to give yourself the power and the hope. I choose to give myself the power and the hope. For me, I am going to vote for what I think is the best, and then trust in God to actually choose what is best because I know my knowledge is limited. I really appreciate hearing your thoughts on this by the way. I know we differ in opinion and I am okay with that. Have a beautiful day and I wish you all the best.
Jazakallah khair sister. But sadly I think you are rewarding genocide by voting for Kamala. Sorry to put it so bluntly. But it is a good in itself to punish the mass killing of your brothers and sisters.
Lets agree to disagree - and know that just because I disagree with you doesn't mean I support genocide, kind sir. I do not see it as a reward - I see it as doing the best I can in the circumstances I am in. I do not throw my vote to the wind simply because I am angry people are dying. I choose to use my vote in the way that I see brings a better future - for them especially and for us. For me, I do not decide to vote third party because I know that will give Trump the advantage. Just because I am hurting and others are hurting does not mean that I will lash out blindly aiming to hurt something, anything, to get people to see me and see that I am angry. I'd rather be as logical about it as I can. I see the validity in what you are saying. I see the validity in what I am saying. I don't think there is a wrong answer here - we are doing and believing what we see is best and will help our dying brothers and sisters in Gaza and all over the world. The true decider will be Allah swt and I know that he knows best. I am doing what I can with what I know and trusting that Allah swt who is the Ultimate Decider will do what he knows is best. This is an open conversation and I appreciate you for starting it with your post. Just know that not everyone will agree. We don't need to agree. In the disagreement each person has a valid opinion and thought and through it we can gain insite on the reasonings behind other's thoughts and beliefs. You shared yours, I'm sharing mine. I don't appreciate you writing me off as such. I was harsh in my last message simply because the person responding said "what would the dying people of Gaza think or say or do?" The truth is if they were, they'd be stuck in the same conversation. They need more than we can ever give them, so we do our best. We all ask Allah swt to rain his punishment onto the Israel leaders and army and those who go out of their way to support them and to bring justice to all Palestinians (amin). What is going on is no small matter. Because of that we are limited in what we can do, except to try our best. Which is exactly what we are doing. I ask Allah swt to forgive our shortcomings and to give us strength in these hard times, and to bring relief to our struggling brothers and sisters around the world (amin). In the end, Allah swt is in charge of the punishment. I have full faith in him taking that on - in this life and in the next.
Mehdi is the one that made the public pronouncement. In that context brother Jalal's critique is justified and necessary. If Mehdi is sincere he should not be coming out contradicting publicly the position and message of prominent imams and community leaders. It is Mehdi's pronouncement in my opinion that is divisive.
First of all, I respect Mehdi as a muslim brother and for his work at Zeteo exposing Israel and debating Zionists. That being said, the problem with Mehdi is that he's a centrist liberal. He still clings on Liberalism, where the fact is that that ideology is the reason why there are many greedy capitalists and imperialists waging wars and exploiting humans across the globe for maximizing profit, using the most effective vehicle for doing them, The U.S. Empire. Liberalism IS the problem, and if he's a liberal, unfortunately he's still part of the problem.
I honestly don’t know what is meant by liberalism any more. The word has become meaningless. There seems to me to be little difference between so called liberals and far right facists, in practical terms. They’ve all just got a different way of coercing and forcing their views on people.
It seems to be the hardest thing to do to simply listen to and accept the views and choices of others.
All this judgement…..what does it do to help us?
I grew up in the Catholic Church and judging others and feeling judged is a reflex action for me.
I reject it. And I have to keep correcting myself cos it’s in my DNA.
Judging is a precursor to hating, and it’s accelerated by justifying it on a basis purported to come for some higher-purpose, like politics or religion.
“Faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love. “
I’m not seeing a lot of love around the world right now. Whatever people call themselves or identify with. The words and labels are meaningless when the actions and outcomes bring hurt, and hate.
I agree. Trump and Harris as representing the GOP and Democrats are equally "evil" There is no "lesser" They might have different, leading edge policies that people can swallow or not, but to continue to vote for either, means we end up in a loop we can't escape from! The Israel/Gaza issue goes way beyond Genocide. It is a battle for a world that respects International Law and which countries are prepared to support and abide by a rules based order. Both Trump and Harris have shown they do not. Voting for Jill Stein and the Green Party will send a clear message that votes have to be earned. It will also encourage others to consider voting for the values and policies they care about. It might create some chaos if it allows your worst candidate to get in, but every
change requires sacrifice. We must stand up and be counted!
Completely agree Jalal. It is time to drop the pretence that the Democrats in the USA are any different from the Republicans. AOC is proof if it were needed. They would all sell their immortal souls for a suitable amount of campaign funding.
There would be a fraction of the gun-, or drug-related deaths in the USA were sufficient numbers in congress there out of conscience or interest in their fellow man and the world as a whole might be a safer place.
In lending his support to Harris, Mehdi seriously diminished the credibility of his own journalism. I’m sure I’m not alone in being surprised that his support could so easily have been bought.
Excellent piece Jalal. If I may add, over the past year, Mehdi has called for 'pressuring for change from within the Democratic party' after voting for them this November. Trouble is this approach in and of itself doesn't work because politicians don't have to be responsive to the sentiments of its base if it doesn't cost them at the ballot box. Almost three quarters of the Democratic base has been calling for a ceasefire (which is hardly enough for obvious reasons, but that's a separate topic) for months now. Yet, that hasn't shifted the needle substantively from a policy standpoint within the party establishment (changes in 'rhetoric' are sweet nothings) because being resoundingly pro-Israel has been the winning formula for decades.
If a sufficient numbers, particularly in MI, WI, PA, decide to sit out the election or vote Green in order to punish genocide and the Dems lose as result, OF COURSE they're not going to publicly admit it. But unless they're averse to the idea of winning in the 2026 midterms, regaining the WH in 2028 etc., they'll most certainly be having candid conversations (albeit reluctantly perhaps) behind closed doors regarding whether maintaining an unabashedly pro-Israel stance remains a winning formula. I concede that it might take more than just losing in November for them to wake them up and catch up with their base. But it sure seems to be a better bet than voting blue and 'begging' them to change course after giving up your only source of leverage.
This is not to disregard the possibility that another Trump term will be brutal. It's almost certain that the genocide will continue unabated just as it has under Biden-Harris (given Gaza is already 75 percent rubble with hundreds of thousands murdered, I don't accept the 'it will be worse' line of reasoning). It's also virtually certain that Trump will give Netanyahu the green light to do whatever he wants in Lebanon, but history has shown that US-Israel will be stuck in a quagmire if it mounts a land invasion. While presiding over this mess abroad, if he tries to implement the wider MAGA agenda at home, he's undoubtedly going to face stiff opposition in many parts from millions of Americans. And there's only so much invoking the Insurrection Act can do in the face of widespread public outrage - how many cities is he going to deploy the US Military to? Can he be certain that the entire military will disregard their oath to preserve and protect the constitution given that turning against its own citizens is a clear violation? Will military commanders across the board risk the possibility of fermenting a breakdown in its command structure and discipline within their ranks? Sure, Trump has stated his intentions with Project 2025 but it isn't a given that all 900 pages can be feasibly implemented. Medhi has eloquently explained what the Trump agenda is, but he hasn't provided a thoughtful analysis of how practicable the implementation of each and every item on that list actually is.
At the end of the day, if Mehdi is serious about 'pushing for change from within' the party, then I have the same question for him that he had for Jill Stein and Butch Ware - how does voting for Harris-Walz help end the genocide? Lay it out for us. Because we can all see that protesting and pleading without any political leverage doesn't work.
We are focusing entirely on foreign policy when discussing Trump and not thinking of other areas, especially domestic policy, for ex Covid which Mehdi mentioned
Genocide is a greater crime.
What did you think of his response (without explicitly calling it that) Jalal?
https://youtu.be/_DncJoKTp28?si=-5wRRlwoc3xJSqrR
Our governments are incompetent. The sure incompetent at everything. And that’s because competency isn’t important in politics. They also do not care about the people they are supposed to serve. This is not issue specific. This is what politics has become, because the individuals in the main parties are bought and paid for. This is the problem. And that’s true in the U.S., the UK, and Canada.
It’s worth remembering that it was not always like this.
In Canada Jean Chrétien refused to join Bush’s war in Iraq. He didn’t believe the WMD story, and so he refused because he believed it was wrong. Now look at who we have…Trudeau Junior, who trips over himself trying to appease the Americans and has a cabinet full of flagrant pro-Israel and Israel-First advocates. They have also remained ineffective while Quebec (where Trudeau s are from) have implemented racist and unconstitutional laws).
The man is not competent at anything. In the same period between Chrétien and Trudeau Jr life for the average Canadian has become drastically more difficult. While once Canada attracted and welcomed immigrants and profited from their creativity, ingenuity and solid work ethic, the same immigrants are now packing their bags and leaving, because life has become too hard here. And it’s the same in the UK.
I hear what you’re saying about focusing on one issue, but I honestly believe the underlying cause applies. The cause is incompetency and immorality of the candidates that seek and succeed in politics today, wherever they are. This is what the real power holders in the world want: patsies in government who serve their corporate needs. Period.
It will never change if we keep voting for candidates who subscribe to this corrupted system, and are not focused on being competent at their job (and who don’t recognize who they should be working for…the people of their country)! It may not change until there is a revolution, and the people of the world physically reject and seek to destroy the system that not only has failed them but actively attacks and abuses them and tries to keep them weak and ignorant. One thing remains true: there are less of those corrupted elites then there are of us.
So to me, the individual issue doesn’t matter. When people show you who they are, believe them.
I think it’s a mistake to call governments incompetent. They do exactly what their masters and their ideology dictate. Don’t forget, it was Chretien’s Minister of Finance, Paul Martin, that took a huge leap down the path of a brutal austerity program that further enriched the wealthy. That wasn’t incompetence any more than Justin Trudeau’s pandering to the USA and Israel is. It’s part of their plan and competently executed.
In the US, primary responsibility for healthcare lies with the State govt. The feds have a role to play for sure, but it's secondary. To that extent, yes, with the benefit of hindsight especially, Trump handled the federal govts response to COVID poorly. He could've deployed the resources of the federal govt to provide states with more resources in a more timely manner. But the blame also extends to the states as well. And some of the poorest responses were in those run by Dems (NY for example).
It's funny how Mehdi has to resort to his most absurd statement (inject bleach or something to that order) to make his point rather than just focussing on where the federal response fell short. And what he fails to do is compare the response + outcomes to other countries with a similar system (e.g. Canada where provinces hold primary jurisdiction for healthcare). There too we saw poor coordination between different govts, shortages of testing infrastructure, PPE and the likes. Sure, if Hilary 'the hag' Clinton was in charge she wouldn't have suggested injecting bleach, but I doubt she would've fared much better on the whole.
Much respect to your adab and your patient, intelligent response.
Jazakallah khair
May Allah accept from all of us
I also think that a conversation between Mehdi and Sami should be held, so that the public see both sides easily. I support you... But many Muslims will support Mehdi not because of argument but because of personality, as he is known and have debates which sets the image that he is shrewed. So, a discussion will be good..
Wassalam
This is definitely needed & should happen ASAP. Sami is in the US currently, so it makes even more sense. In the conversation, Mehdi should clearly state who he is voting for
Thank you for your thoughtful response. It is the embodiment of disagreeing with your fellow brother in the deen without vilifying them. I have unfortunately heard the argument he has made from other Muslims living in America and although it’s disappointing to come across, looking at the comments section fills me with hope that conscientious voters (Muslim and otherwise) have woken up and are hungry for change. We are not naively expecting a win for a third party, but looking for some political consequence to funding and perpetuating a genocide.
Silver lining: the fact that Mehdi felt the need to hop on and post this monologue means it’s working. So to quote Sami “Keep MOVING ya Ibaad Allah”
Articulated with grace and love mA.
Sami and Mehdi - make it happen brother! 🙌🌟
If you never vote for the third option then there would never be a third option. Democracies desperately need third/fourth/fifth options to prevent oligopolies. I know another Trump term sounds bad but is it worth sacrificing your democratic rights in the long run? This ensures that as long as there is a clown on the other side, the democratic party can do whatever they want.
You need him on your show
mashallah what a kind response.
I love and respect Mehdi for all he has said over the years but this time, for the first time, I think he is dead wrong. The weaponization of Islam comments, although rooted in a good place, that's just not something anyone is trying to do. Personally, for me, it's moreso, well how could you vote for Kamala knowing that she supports genocide. Do you know she supports genocide? Help me understand how this is ok and doesn't trump any other stance she may have.
Regarding his other statements. Nobody thinks things will change right away if the green party wins or if the Dems lose. It's about enabling a future where things could eventually change. If Trump or Kamala win, Muslims lose either way. So even if we are relegated to losing, let's start the discussion for a third party. Let's enable their funding if they receive 5% of the vote, etc. This vote isn't for us. It's for our future and for our kids. The way to become part of the discussion is to have a voice in the system. Saying otherwise is flat out ridiculous.
Also blaming Trump (although it's usually completely warranted) for COVID and every one of those deaths is a reach. The American medical system is wrecked. Do you really think Hillary would have done something to make a significant difference? No.
Finally, comparing Sami to Isis, even just invoking Isis to make your point is going way too far.
I think he has a lot of looking at this subject from an outside-in, European POV and mindset. This is one instance that Mehdi should have stayed out of US politics. He has a voice, he has a lot of influence, he might have f*cked this one up for us.
Anyone with a conscience must agree that a genocide must be punished. It has nothing to do with religion
I love how our Muslim young men discuss politics and educating us about. It is important to have a dialogue between different views. I knew since Oct 7 that I will not vote for any democratic president this election and just skip voting all together this time. But thank you Shielk Sammi Alhamidi for explaining to us that we can change the future by voting for Jill since we have no control over the present time.
Mahdi I like you and respect you but I am on Alhamdi side on this one.
Please it would be lovely to have both of you on the Thinking Muslim with Brother Jala
I fear what will come with Trump's presidency - there was so much destruction and instability. There was so much fear and hate. What trump has done in his previous presidency would be much more in this new one - more damaging, more fear, more hate, more hurt. I am not going to vote in a direction that may bring more destruction in Palestine. I am not going to put forward a vote that can let someone of his kind take the seat. Voting third party allows him to take the seat, even though he has already promised to do more damage. How do you not see that? I get that things need to change, but in the crux of the moment I trust anyone else in the government more than him. I can freely hate on Harris once she makes bad decisions, but she hasn't yet. Harris is not Biden - remember that. Just because Trump says it doesn't mean it is true and I can assure you that especially because he says it it is not true. He aims to take advantage of this and win not because he deserves the seat, not because he is the better person, not for any reason except taking advantage of the split in how people vote - driven by him. Remember covid? Remember the bombing of Iran? Remember George Floyd? The Muslim ban?? Do you not think that you are encouraging more harm by voting otherwise? Just because you wrote someone else's name doesn't mean that your vote won't count. In the end it is a two party system. And in the end this decision you make will add up with other decisions and either there is a possibility of a future or there isn't.
What would the people in Gaza do? What would Hamas or the Islamic Jihad do?
Accept the fate of the evil that rules their fate?
I don’t think they would do that. They haven’t done that.
There is no easy way out of this. The evil is already here and amongst us. And it’s residing the seats of power in countries all over the world.
Democracy doesn’t exist in the U.S., or any western countries. It’s a lie. The same powers control the main parties. The leaders of them come in different flavours, but they are serving the same masters.
I don’t see Harris as any different than Trump on Gaza. I don’t see Obama as any different than Trump on Gaza. None of them have done anything to help Palestinians during their time in power. And one of them will help in the future. The system is horribly broken because it is riddled with cancerous corruption of elites who serve corporate masters. Harris is no different than Trump.
I really think it’s worth asking what the Palestinians in Gaza would do. Who would they prefer to see as the next US president? And would they spend time debating who was worse for them…?
It is okay if you disagree, but I think it is incredibly naive of you to think voting otherwise would bring them comfort. I think it is stupid to believe that voting otherwise will somehow save them. Voting otherwise will being them more pain and hurt. Kamala is the only person who has a chance of winning and the only person who has not agreed with how Israel are conducting themselves. She is the only person who could turn things around. She walked out when Netanyahu spoke, refused to meet publicly with him, spoken out about how she thinks we should be handling things, her husband attended events against Israel and for support of Gaza and Palestine. Don't forget there is a lot more on the line than just Palestine. It is nieve to believe otherwise - we can't just have a one track mind. What about the people on Ukraine? The people who cross our borders? Remember how trump put them in cages and seperated the kids from their parents? What about increased violence in the US? It is not about trading one life for another, it is about making the best decision overall. And I believe that Kamala has the power to turn things around and keep us going in the right direction - for Palestine and everyone else that was and will be harmed by Trump if he were to become president.
Theres very little evidence sister to substantiate your over exuberance about Kamala except for a few fragments of cynical things she has said for the benefit of garnering a pro-gaza vote. Also I really get the impression from what you said that you do not really see genocide to be of such gravity that it’s worth punishing. It seems all the evidence that I have raised in my article about her complicity has been overlooked?
Your last comment is where we fundamentally differ in opinion. I don’t believe Kamela Harris has any power to do anything at all. She has the same masters as Biden.
All I ever need to hear from her was “We need an immediate ceasefire…….for six weeks”.
She’s playing you. She’s getting your vote.
You keep telling people in this chat they are naive. To disagree with you is not to be naive. I simply do but trust the people you trust. And over a hundred years of war in the Middle East with the British and Americans at the helm is enough for me to look at both sides of the isle and see that none of them can be trusted.
I understand what you mean. but then what do you do? Leave the US and live somewhere else? For me, the bottom line is to try and move in a better direction and to promote positive change overall. I get your frustration and mistrust. The betrayal I feel whenever I look at Biden, hear his name, or anything, brings such strong feelings of a loss of hope and faith, and feelings of disgust. Whenever I hear his chief of staff justifying his choices, etc, it brings on those feelings too. We have no power right now - we can march, we can boycott, we can speak publicly about our opinions - but nothing that can immediately turn things around. We can only chip at the block and it is sad and hurts. But when we vote, we have a lot more power than we normally do. We choose what the next four years will be and the possibilities that come with them. As US citizens, We are now in a position to focus on who we trust to have so much power. We have three options, one of them incredibly unlikely (3rd party), another a madman (living when he was president was incredibly hard and traumatic), and a third, someone that has possibility even if it is very little. I know so many people argue that it doesn't really matter in the end, and that you say that none of them can be trusted... But again - what does that leave you with? Nothing. You can choose to give yourself the power and the hope. I choose to give myself the power and the hope. For me, I am going to vote for what I think is the best, and then trust in God to actually choose what is best because I know my knowledge is limited. I really appreciate hearing your thoughts on this by the way. I know we differ in opinion and I am okay with that. Have a beautiful day and I wish you all the best.
Jazakallah khair sister. But sadly I think you are rewarding genocide by voting for Kamala. Sorry to put it so bluntly. But it is a good in itself to punish the mass killing of your brothers and sisters.
Lets agree to disagree - and know that just because I disagree with you doesn't mean I support genocide, kind sir. I do not see it as a reward - I see it as doing the best I can in the circumstances I am in. I do not throw my vote to the wind simply because I am angry people are dying. I choose to use my vote in the way that I see brings a better future - for them especially and for us. For me, I do not decide to vote third party because I know that will give Trump the advantage. Just because I am hurting and others are hurting does not mean that I will lash out blindly aiming to hurt something, anything, to get people to see me and see that I am angry. I'd rather be as logical about it as I can. I see the validity in what you are saying. I see the validity in what I am saying. I don't think there is a wrong answer here - we are doing and believing what we see is best and will help our dying brothers and sisters in Gaza and all over the world. The true decider will be Allah swt and I know that he knows best. I am doing what I can with what I know and trusting that Allah swt who is the Ultimate Decider will do what he knows is best. This is an open conversation and I appreciate you for starting it with your post. Just know that not everyone will agree. We don't need to agree. In the disagreement each person has a valid opinion and thought and through it we can gain insite on the reasonings behind other's thoughts and beliefs. You shared yours, I'm sharing mine. I don't appreciate you writing me off as such. I was harsh in my last message simply because the person responding said "what would the dying people of Gaza think or say or do?" The truth is if they were, they'd be stuck in the same conversation. They need more than we can ever give them, so we do our best. We all ask Allah swt to rain his punishment onto the Israel leaders and army and those who go out of their way to support them and to bring justice to all Palestinians (amin). What is going on is no small matter. Because of that we are limited in what we can do, except to try our best. Which is exactly what we are doing. I ask Allah swt to forgive our shortcomings and to give us strength in these hard times, and to bring relief to our struggling brothers and sisters around the world (amin). In the end, Allah swt is in charge of the punishment. I have full faith in him taking that on - in this life and in the next.
Mehdi is the one that made the public pronouncement. In that context brother Jalal's critique is justified and necessary. If Mehdi is sincere he should not be coming out contradicting publicly the position and message of prominent imams and community leaders. It is Mehdi's pronouncement in my opinion that is divisive.
First of all, I respect Mehdi as a muslim brother and for his work at Zeteo exposing Israel and debating Zionists. That being said, the problem with Mehdi is that he's a centrist liberal. He still clings on Liberalism, where the fact is that that ideology is the reason why there are many greedy capitalists and imperialists waging wars and exploiting humans across the globe for maximizing profit, using the most effective vehicle for doing them, The U.S. Empire. Liberalism IS the problem, and if he's a liberal, unfortunately he's still part of the problem.
I honestly don’t know what is meant by liberalism any more. The word has become meaningless. There seems to me to be little difference between so called liberals and far right facists, in practical terms. They’ve all just got a different way of coercing and forcing their views on people.
It seems to be the hardest thing to do to simply listen to and accept the views and choices of others.
All this judgement…..what does it do to help us?
I grew up in the Catholic Church and judging others and feeling judged is a reflex action for me.
I reject it. And I have to keep correcting myself cos it’s in my DNA.
Judging is a precursor to hating, and it’s accelerated by justifying it on a basis purported to come for some higher-purpose, like politics or religion.
“Faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love. “
I’m not seeing a lot of love around the world right now. Whatever people call themselves or identify with. The words and labels are meaningless when the actions and outcomes bring hurt, and hate.
I agree. Trump and Harris as representing the GOP and Democrats are equally "evil" There is no "lesser" They might have different, leading edge policies that people can swallow or not, but to continue to vote for either, means we end up in a loop we can't escape from! The Israel/Gaza issue goes way beyond Genocide. It is a battle for a world that respects International Law and which countries are prepared to support and abide by a rules based order. Both Trump and Harris have shown they do not. Voting for Jill Stein and the Green Party will send a clear message that votes have to be earned. It will also encourage others to consider voting for the values and policies they care about. It might create some chaos if it allows your worst candidate to get in, but every
change requires sacrifice. We must stand up and be counted!
Completely agree Jalal. It is time to drop the pretence that the Democrats in the USA are any different from the Republicans. AOC is proof if it were needed. They would all sell their immortal souls for a suitable amount of campaign funding.
There would be a fraction of the gun-, or drug-related deaths in the USA were sufficient numbers in congress there out of conscience or interest in their fellow man and the world as a whole might be a safer place.
In lending his support to Harris, Mehdi seriously diminished the credibility of his own journalism. I’m sure I’m not alone in being surprised that his support could so easily have been bought.