Muslim leaders have expressed disappointment and concern over the selection of members of the newly elected US President Donald Trump's cabinet. These Muslim leaders supported Republican Donald Trump to protest the Biden administration's support for Israel's war in Gaza and attacks on Lebanon. But they were deeply disappointed by Trump's new Cabinet picks, they told Reuters.
Philidelphia investor Rabiul Chowdhury. He spearheaded the Leave Kamala Harris campaign in Pennsylvania. At the same time, he established 'Muslims for Trump'. “Trump won because of us,” he told Reuters. But we are not satisfied with his choice of foreign minister and others.'
Strategists believe that Muslim support for Trump helped him win the state of Michigan. In addition, they played a role in Trump's victory in other swing states.
Trump has appointed Marco Rubio, a Republican senator and staunch supporter of Israel, as secretary of state.
Earlier this year, Rubio refused to call for a cease-fire in Gaza and said he believed Israel should destroy “every element” of Hamas. He referred to Hamas as a 'cruel creature'.
In addition, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee has been nominated by Trump as the next ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is known as a staunch pro-Israel Conservative leader. He supports the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and calls the two-state solution in Palestine 'unworkable'.
Republican Representative Elise Stefanik has been appointed by Trump as the US Ambassador to the United Nations. He called the UN a 'smelling place of anti-Semitism' for condemning the killings in Gaza.
Rexinaldo Nazarco, executive director of the American Muslim Engagement and Empowerment Network (AMEEN), said Muslim voters hoped Trump would choose cabinet members who would work for peace. But there is no sign of it. “We are very disappointed,” he said. 'It seems like this administration is full of conservative, extreme pro-Israel and pro-war people. This is the failure of Trump's campaign for peace and the anti-war movement.'
Nazarco also said, 'However, their pressure will continue to end the war in Gaza. At least we're still on the map.'
Hassan Abdel Salam, a former University of Minnesota professor and co-founder of the Leave Kamala Harris campaign, said he already knew Trump's worker plans would be extreme. But it proved to be more than he expected.
“We've always been skeptical … of course we're still waiting to see where the administration will go,” he said. But the new administration's personnel selection seems to be taking the pro-Israel program to the extreme.'
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to an email sent by Reuters for comment.
Some Muslim and Arab Trump supporters said they expected Richard Grenell, Trump's former director of national intelligence, to play a key role. Richard Grenell campaigned for months to the Muslim and Arab American communities and was presented as a possible next Secretary of State.
Massad Boulos, another key Trump ally and Lebanese father-in-law of his daughter Tiffany, met repeatedly with Arab American and Muslim leaders. Trump promised Arab American and Muslim voters that he was the candidate of peace and that he would quickly end wars in the Middle East and beyond.
Trump himself has made several visits to cities with the largest Arab American and Muslim populations, particularly the Muslim-majority city of Dearborn. There he said, he loves Muslims. Besides, he mentioned 'Muslims for Trump' as a beautiful movement in the city of Pittsburgh.
Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi also endorsed Trump. Bill Baggio said he met with the president-elect three times. Despite the Cabinet appointments, he still believes Trump will work to end the war.
Rola Makki, the Republican Party's vice chair for outreach in Michigan and a Lebanese American Muslim, agreed. “I don't think every Trump appointment will please everyone,” he said. But he thinks the result is important.
Source: Reuters
