My First Day As A Democrat

In the Name of God, the Subtle, the Loving

Tuesday February 2 was primary election day in Illinois, where various local and Congressional primary elections were held across the state. It was an important day, and I made every effort to vote before the polls closed. Thank God, I was able to make it despite a hectic job schedule, because voting for me is a religious duty.

The only thing is, in Illinois, the primary election is a closed election. This means that you must declare your party and get that party's specific ballot. For my entire adult life, I have been a registered Republican. I have even been both a Committeman and Assistant Committeeman in the local Republican Party organizations. I believed in the Republican Party and the principles for which it stood. I was proud to be a member of the Party.

But, on February 2, the "R" that was listed by my name officially changed to a "D." On February 2, I officially became a Democrat.

This is no surprise. My faith in the Republican Party was quickly fading, and I publicly declared this loss of faith more than one year ago. This feeling quickly accelerated during the 2008 Presidential campaign, when the Republican Party's tactics and stances against then Senator Obama were extremely distasteful to me.

Yet, watching the Republican Party's actions during the first year of the Obama Presidency has convinced me that I was absolutely correct in leaving the Party, a Party which has made me fell totally unwelcome. From failing to repudiate the rabidly anti-Islam voices within its midst, to continually obstructing almost everything President Obama has proposed, to embracing the extreme right wing as its most important base of support, the Republican Party of today is a shell of its former self.

The Republican Party of today is nothing like the Party of Lincoln. The Republican Party of today has completely abandoned its core principles. The Republican Party of today has clearly shown that it does not want people like me in its tent.

So, I left. But I could not make it official until February 2, 2010, when I put an "X" in the box labeled "Democratic."

I was a bit hesitant at first: it is difficult to change something I have been doing for so many years. I even thought - for a fleeting moment - of checking the "Republican" box, out of sheer cowardice. But, when I thought about the Republican Party of today, almost automatically, my hand moved to the "Democratic" box.

I was in the minority in the polling place: almost all of the election workers were clearly Republicans, and I even heard one of them joking, "Yeah, the machine is gonna shred the Democratic ballots." That statement brought both a smile to my face and a feeling of deep indignation all at the same time. For the first time, I felt partisan zeal for the Democratic Party. For the first time in a long time, I feel at home in a political party.

This is not to say that I will never vote for a Republican candidate. Far from it. If I feel that a Republican candidate is the right choice for my county board, city, governor's office, Congressional seat, or Senate seat, I will cast my vote for that candidate. But, judging by the candidates put up by the Republican Party lately, I do not think many Republicans will get my vote.

This is also not to say that I am completely enthralled by the current Democratic Party, either. Here in Illinois, the state is in complete financial ruin, and the Democrats are in complete control. On the National level, the Democrats totally bungaled the opportunities of unprecedented majorities in both houses of Congress, especially on the Senate side, and it has led to gridlock on some of the most important issues of our time, such as health care reform. In addition, there are some very powerful constituencies of the Democratic base with which I am not enamored either.

Nevertheless, I do not squirm when I say that I am Democrat, like I did when I said I was a Republican. True, I will not announce this out loud, especially in the Doctor's lounge at the hospital at which I work, which is a Conservative bastion. (Indeed, I frequently have to hold my tongue when I hear what is being said by my various colleagues) Still, judging by the upcoming leaders of the Republican Party, I do not think I will be coming back to the GOP any time soon.

Yes, I left the Party back in 2008, but it became official on February 2, 2010. It was my first day as a Democrat, and it felt very, very good.

Voting Is A Religious Duty

In the Name of God, the Subtle, the Loving

This post was published on The Seeker today.  

In the past few days and weeks, but most especially in the last 48 hours, I have been bombarded by numerous "robocalls" by various current and former elected officials urging me to vote in tomorrow's primary election. That is on top of the countless emails (one I just deleted as I wrote this). As much as my frustration is at an all time high with these disturbing and annoying phone calls, their aim is noble: getting me out to vote today. I intend to do just that, the calls notwithstanding.

In fact, I believe it is my religious duty to do so, and I told the congregation as much in my weekly Friday sermon last week. The Quran extols the believers because they "enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil."
The Prophet Muhammad repeatedly exhorted his followers to be the best in whatever they do. He once said, "God loves that you do something excellently." The Prophet also said, "If you see something evil, then try to change it yourself..."

Voting on February 2 encompasses all these religious duties. If we do not like the state of our economy, the state of our government, the state of our neighborhoods, then we must seek to change it for the better.
There are few better ways to effect that change than voting in elected officials who will do what is good for all. Islam demands that we Muslims be the best at whatever we do: that includes being the best citizens possible, and one of the critical functions of citizenship is voting in each and every election: large or small, primary or general, national or local. One of the best ways to "enjoin good and forbid evil" is to vote in every election.

Moreover, the Prophet Muhammad once said that "one does not truly thank God if he does not thank other people." Before I was even on this earth, countless brave men and women faced down fire hoses, batons, angry dogs, and the guile of a nation when they stood up for their long-denied right to vote. Before they stood up, scores of brave women stood up to the prejudice of their time to fight for their right to vote as well. Because of their sacrifices, I am given the opportunity to vote without obstruction, or baton, or poll tax, or voter examination. It would be horribly ungrateful of me not to take that opportunity and express my opinion and voice as a citizen. My faith demands that I not let the sacrifice of those before me to be made in vain.

Indeed, I do hate the "robocalls," and they even inspire me not to vote for the various candidates on whose behalf the calls are being made. Nevertheless, vote I must. My God and my faith told me so.