This letter was written and released in collaboration with the Abandon Harris movement, formerly known as Abandon Biden
Allah says in the Qur’an:“O believers! Stand firm for justice as witnesses for Allah even if it is against yourselves, your parents, or close relatives. Whether they are rich or poor, Allah is best to ensure their interests. So do not let your desires cause you to deviate from justice. If you distort the testimony or refuse to give it, then [know that] Allah is certainly All-Aware of what you do.” - Qur’an 4:135For the past year, we have watched in horror as our brothers and sisters in Palestine are slaughtered in cold blood. We have also witnessed Israeli soldiers destroy mosques, desecrate copies of the Qur’an, and openly insult the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)—all with the full backing, funding, and blessings of the current administration. This isn't just another tragedy; it is a deliberate, calculated genocide and an attack on the very tenets of our faith, funded with our tax dollars and carried out with the full support and complicity of the Biden-Harris administration. Now, those responsible for this bloodshed and destruction have the audacity to demand the Muslim-American community to vote for them to stop a Trump presidency, hiding behind the excuse of a “lesser-evil” strategy.We, the undersigned, call on Muslim-Americans to refuse this false binary. None of this is an endorsement of Donald Trump's vile, racist agenda, which includes advancing the apartheid and genocidal interests of a foreign state while falsely claiming to put America first. Rather, it is about prioritizing our faith and humanity, taking a stand for justice, and rejecting anyone who has supported, enacted, or promised to perpetuate such evil.We are fully aware of the threats a Trump presidency poses to this country on the domestic front. However, we also recognize that the oppression of tens of millions within these borders is not limited to one political party—it is a systemic issue designed to repress those pushed to the margins. From the violent suppression of anti-genocide encampments to the inhumane treatment of refugees and asylum seekers, and the state-
sanctioned murder of Imam Marcellus Khalifah Williams, we understand that the oppressive hand of the state operates beyond party lines. Our children here, too, are hungry. Our schools are collapsing. Our elderly are dying in debt. Our streets are filled with families who should be warm, fed and under a roof. We have no money for them, but every penny in the world to slaughter, maim & decimate an entire people?And so, we are putting our faith and humanity first, rejecting anyone who has endorsed, perpetrated, or vowed to further evil. We are not choosing between a lesser and greater evil; we are staring down two monstrous evils: one that is currently committing genocide and one which is committed to also continue it. Both are poised to finish the job. Together, we stand firm in our refusal to support any political party or candidate that has actively participated in and funded the unprecedented violence that has shocked the world. We may not know what the future holds, but we know this: we will not taint our hands by voting for or supporting an administration that has brought so much bloodshed upon our brothers and sisters. We want to be absolutely clear: don’t stay home and skip voting. This year, make a statement by voting third party for the presidential ticket. Equally important, vote all the way down the ballot for candidates and policies that stand for truth and justice, ensuring your voice is heard at every level. The Democratic Party’s ongoing refusal to show any intention of reform, even as we witness the greatest catastrophe in modern history, along with the Republican promise to only worsen this evil, leaves us no choice but to take this step. We ask Allah to guide us to righteousness, to always stand with the oppressed, and to grant the downtrodden victory over their oppressors wherever they may be. Ameen.
SIGNED BY
Imam AbdAlAziz EddebbarhImam Abdishakur A AliImam Abdullah AshrafImam Abdul Khalid BalochImam Abdul Muhaymin Priester, IIIHafiz Abdul RafeyImam Abdou ZindaniImam Abdinour ReshidImam Ahmad NoubaniImam Ahmad ShqeiratImam Ahmad SharafImam Ahmed A. Qadeer Imam Ahmed RabiShaykh Ahmed AlhasasnehShaykh Ahmed BillooDr. Ahmed Naser Imam Akram BaioumyImam Ali AhmedShaykha Aisha Al-AdawiyaImam Anisul HaqueUstadh Adnan MukhtarImam Atif ChaudhryImam Ayman SolimanImam Bachir DjehicheImam Dawud WalidDr. Ermin SinanovicDr. Farah ZaidiImam Fayaz NawabiImam Fuad MohamedImam Hassan JamaImam Hassan SelimImam Hussein El-HennawyShaykha Haifaa YounisImam Ibrahim Khader Imam John EdererDr. Ismail ElshikhImam Liiban NurImam Marc ManleyMaulana Syed Irtiza HasanUstadh Huthaifa ShqeiratImam Mohamed BadawyImam Mohammad ElshinawyImam Mohamad JobanImam Mohammed N AlamImam Muhammad KareemImam Muhammad Mansoor Shaykh Mohamed DahirDr. Jihad Saafir Imam Mustapha ElturkDr. Osman UmarjiDr. Wail Mostafa HassanImam Naser Rezk Imam Omar Al-AniImam Omar BihiImam Omar OthmanImam Omar SuleimanImam Omar TawilImam Omar YacoubImam Osama AlrefaiImam Othman AltalibUstadha Rama Thaher-SawalhiImam ShemsAdeen Ben-MasaudShaykh Salahadin WazirImam Sulaiman HamedShaykh Suleiman HaniShaykh Suhail MullaImam Suhaib WebbImam Taha HassaneImam Tom FacchineImam Usama BaqaiUstadha Humera SheikhUstadha Mariam SiddiquiUstadh Mobeen VaidDr. Waleed BasyouniImam Waleed TawfikDr. Yasir Qadhi