"For Courage of Conviction"
Badnarik accepts award for third parties
Orlando, FL (PRWEB) September 29, 2004 -- Hurricane Jeanne lashed Florida on Saturday, but the fourth major storm of the season didn't keep the American Muslim Alliance from holding its ninth national convention -- or Libertarian presidential candidate Michael Badnarik from addressing that convention.
Badnarik accepted the AMA's Al-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz Malcolm X Award "on behalf of the Libertarian, Green and Independent parties."
Named for the civil rights activist and Muslim convert, assassinated in 1965, the award is inscribed:
"For showing courage of conviction in upholding American ideals, for demonstrating total honesty and integrity in dealing with fellow Americans of all religions, colors and creeds, and for doing the right thing at the right time and for the right reason. The coalescance of their convictions and commitments will be remembered as the the institutionalization of a US-wide civil rights movement."
"Muslims have borne the brunt of draconian government actions since 9/11," says Badnarik. "A plurality of American Muslims supported George Bush in 2000. Now they're looking outside the major party club for candidates who support their rights."
Naturally, Badnarik has his own ideas on whom Muslims should vote for. "The agenda of the American Muslim Task Force on Civil Rights and Elections is a thoroughly Libertarian document." Libertarians are aggressively courting Arab and Muslim voters this year. Talk radio host Gary Nolan, one of Badnarik's opponents for the Libertarian nomination and himself the scion of Lebanese immigrants, addressed several Arab-American events in his own campaign. Badnarik spoke to the Task Force and met with its leaders in San Francisco in June.
The Task Force agenda proclaims support for "the principles enshrined in the US Constitution," including "due process, equal justice, freedom of religion, speech, assembly and privacy, protection from unreasonable searches and seizures, the presumption of innocence, access to counsel in judicial proceedings, and a fair speedy and public trial."
A July poll by Zogby found support for Bush among Arab-American voters down to 24.5% from 45.5% in 2000 -- and 20% in the "undecided or other" column. Another Zogby poll, conducted earlier this month, found a majority of Muslims support including Badnarik in the presidential debates.
Badnarik will appear on 49 ballots this November -- including Florida, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania, where Muslim voters may determine the outcome. He's polling over 1% nationwide. A Rasmussen poll conducted last week shows him at 3% in the "swing state" of Nevada; other states in the southwest show similar levels of support.
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