Largest National Coalition Aimed at Repealing the Muslim Ban Launches Billboards to Get Out the Muslim Vote in Michigan

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Billboards are Part of Statewide and National Efforts to Turn Out Muslim Voters

Oct. 8, 2020 — Two billboards aimed at turning out Muslim voters went up in Dearborn and Hamtramck, Michigan today as part of statewide and national GOTV efforts led by Muslim organizations. The billboards are sponsored by No Muslim Ban Ever, the largest national coalition aimed at repealing the Muslim Ban. In addition to the billboards, the coalition is placing digital ads aimed at Muslim voters in regions with significant Muslim populations. In addition to the billboards, the coalition is placing digital ads aimed at Muslim voters in Dearborn, Hamtramck, and Milwaukee.

“Our coalition is mobilizing support for fair and just immigration policies with an emphasis on repealing the Muslim Ban, so we want to ensure that Muslim communities feel empowered to participate in the political process,” said Subha Varadarajan, Legal and Outreach Fellow for No Muslim Ban Ever.

According to Emgage, an organization that empowers Muslim Americans through political literacy and civic engagement and participates in the No Muslim Ban Ever coalition, there are somewhere between 100,000 and 200,000 Muslim voters in Michigan. In 2016, President Trump won the battleground state by a slim margin of around 10,700 votes. The number of eligible Muslim voters registered to vote nationwide has jumped from 60% in 2016 to 78% in 2020, according to an Institute for Social and Policy Understanding poll released last week.

“While Muslims comprise a small percentage of the U.S. population overall, there are places, like Michigan, where our votes can be decisive,” said Ishraq Ali, Organizing Director at MPower Change, a Muslim digital advocacy organization that spearheads #MyMuslimVote, the largest Muslim voter mobilization project. “Although Muslims are by no means a monolithic voting bloc, a nationwide poll of Muslims found we are united in opposition to the Muslim Ban and prioritize issues like civil rights and religious discrimination. If candidates tackle these issues head on, it can help motivate Muslim voters.”

The Dearborn billboard is located at Michigan Ave. and Miller Road, and the Hamtramck billboard is located at N. I-75 Freeway & Clay Ave.

For more information about nationwide Muslim voter education and mobilization efforts, visit MPower Change’s #MyMuslimVote and Emgage’s Million Muslim Votes online hubs.

For interviews about the Michigan billboards, Muslim GOTV efforts, or the No Muslim Ban Ever campaign, contact Yasmin Hamidi at yasminhamidi@gmail.com

About No Muslim Ban Ever Coalition

The No Muslim Ban Ever campaign is led by Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus, Council of American-Islamic Relations-San Francisco Bay Area, MPower Change, and the National Immigration Law Center. It has been endorsed by more than 100 leading civil and human rights organizations. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.