Sanders Receives Endorsement from Muslim Political Group

This comes after Sanders received the endorsement of Representative Ilhan Omar, one of the only Muslims in Congress.

The New York Times reported:

Representative Ilhan Omar endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont for the Democratic presidential nomination on Tuesday, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will endorse Mr. Sanders at a rally this weekend, according to his campaign.

Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, Democrat of New York and a star of the progressive left, will join Mr. Sanders at his “Bernie’s Back” rally in Queens on Saturday. Earlier Tuesday, his campaign had teased that Mr. Sanders would have a “special guest” at the event.

News of the endorsements came as the Democratic presidential candidates were wrapping up their appearances in the fourth debate of the primary season. Ms. Ocasio-Cortez’s planned endorsement was first reported by The Washington Post.

“Bernie is leading a working-class movement to defeat Donald Trump that transcends generation, ethnicity and geography,” Ms. Omar, Democrat of Minnesota, said in a statement. 

She cited the bill she and Mr. Sanders introduced in June to cancel all of the country’s student debt, worth about $1.6 trillion, and praised him for working to end foreign wars. “I believe Bernie Sanders is the best candidate to take on Donald Trump in 2020,” she said.

In his own statement, Mr. Sanders called Ms. Omar “a leader of strength and courage.”

The Hill had this to report about the matter:

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) won the endorsement of a top Muslim political group Thursday.

Emgage PAC, which calls itself the biggest Muslim political action committee in the country, says it is backing Sanders because of his “inclusive” presidential campaign, and it hopes that its endorsement spurs Muslims to the polls.

“More than any other presidential candidate, Senator Sanders has built a historically inclusive and forward-thinking movement: one that represents America as a set of ideas grounded in the belief that all humans are equal and worthy of a dignified life,” Wa'el Alzayat, Emgage PAC’s CEO, said in a statement.

“Our endorsement is intended to galvanize Muslim Americans at the polls to ensure that our voices are heard. Furthermore, we hope that this endorsement marks a new era of presidential candidates including Muslim American voices in the political process and policy-making decisions," he added.

The group said it made its decision to endorse Sanders after conducting a “comprehensive evaluation” of the 2020 contenders and a survey of its members. 

“It is an honor to receive this endorsement from Emgage Action,” Sanders said in a statement. “While Donald Trump has demonized our Muslim communities, our movement is working to bring Muslims and people of all backgrounds into the political system. Together we will create an economy, justice system and immigration system that are rooted in human rights for all.”

 

Take a look at the video of Omar endorsing Sanders: