Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance endorses David Crowley for governor

Photo by Sandra Whitehead

“I’m running against people who really believe they need to buy these elections because they don’t think that certain people exist or should exist,” gubernatorial candidate David Crowley said at a public forum Saturday at the Islamic Society of Milwaukee Community Center, 815 W. Layton Ave. 

Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance and Muslim community leaders from Milwaukee and Madison endorsed Democrat David Crowley for governor Saturday, just in time for early voting, which begins today across the state.

The endorsements came after six weeks of discussion between Crowley and his campaign team with a variety of Muslim community leaders from Milwaukee and Madison about Wisconsin Muslim’s Key Priorities, WMCA executive director Fauzia Qureshi told Wisconsin Muslim Journal in an interview Monday. A coalition of Wisconsin-based Muslim organizations developed a list of priorities that call for “swift and meaningful action to protect civil rights, address racism and anti-Muslim discrimination, and ensure the fair and equitable treatment of immigrants and refugees.” 

Islamic Society of Milwaukee director Othman Atta and Milwaukee Islamic Dawah Center president Burhan Clark announced their support for Crowley Saturday at a public forum and meet-and-greet with Crowley at the ISM Community Center, 815 W. Layton Ave., Milwaukee.

Following Saturday’s public meeting, WMCA released its endorsements. They included an endorsement of Crowley for governor and three U.S. Congressional endorsements—Mitchell Berman for District 1, Bradley Smith for District 6 and Rick Crossan for District 8. 

WMCA also made 31 endorsements for state senate and assembly seats and recommended voting “No” on three statewide Constitutional amendment questions.

Early voting runs from Oct. 20-Nov. 1. Election Day is Nov. 3.

Photo by Ayman Alamy

A coalition of Muslim community leaders from Milwaukee and Madison met early Saturday morning with gubernatorial candidate David Crowley at the ISM Community Center, ahead of a public forum and meet-and-greet.

Deciding to support Crowley

That the Muslim community would back Crowley had not been clear since July, despite his opponent being Republican candidate U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Minocqua), a long-standing ally of Donald Trump. Tiffany backed the Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention of ISM president Salah Sarsour, considered by many to be politically motivated and unjust. Tiffany also did not respond to an invitation to participate in WMCA’s July 1 gubernatorial candidate forum.

Milwaukee County Executive Crowley accepted the invitation to participate in WMCA’s forum but withdrew on the day of the forum, after receiving the questions, which included whether or not he considered Israel’s military actions in Gaza a genocide. Crowley’s withdrawal drew criticism from Muslim organizers and Palestinian activists. WMCA endorsed gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong in the primary.

After Crowley defeated Hong, she endorsed him. “I fully support him and look forward to working with him to defeat Congressman Tiffany in November,” she wrote on X. Still, Wisconsin Muslims did not jump in to support him. 

Following the July candidate forum, Muslim leaders in Milwaukee and Madison met to identify priorities for a gubernatorial candidate. “We formed a representative coalition of Muslim leaders from different organizations and all walks of life and backgrounds,” said WMCA executive director Qureshi. “It wasn’t done by the WMCA. It was a collective effort from community members, some of whom have experience in policy work. We wanted to make sure we could, in fact, speak for the community.

“We decided we would wait for them to come to us, and they did,” Qureshi said. Crowley and his team began meeting with the diverse coalition of Muslims in early September and continued through mid-October. Its latest meeting with Crowley and his team took place Saturday morning before the 9 a.m. public forum and meet-and-greet.

“For six weeks, Muslim leaders from across Wisconsin agreed on shared priorities and brought them directly to the candidate. I think that’s what civic power looks like,” Qureshi told the public forum. “Our agenda includes addressing anti-Muslim hate, protecting freedom of speech, ensuring Muslim representation in government, safeguarding our communities, investing in our schools and more.”

Following the forum, Muslim leaders in Milwaukee and Madison met to determine their priorities for endorsing a gubernatorial candidate. “We formed a representative coalition of Muslim leaders from different organizations and all walks of life and backgrounds,” said WMCA executive director Qureshi. “It wasn’t done by the WMCA. It was a collective effort from community members, some who have experience in policy work. We wanted to make sure we can, in fact, speak for the community.

“We decided we would wait for them to come to us, and they did,” Qureshi said. Crowley and his team began meeting with the diverse coalition of Muslims in early September and continued through mid-October. Its latest meeting with Crowley and his team took place Saturday morning before the 9 a.m. public forum and meet-and-greet.

“For six weeks, Muslim leaders from across Wisconsin agreed on shared priorities and brought them directly to the candidate. I think that’s what civic power looks like,” Qureshi told the public forum. “Our agenda includes addressing anti-Muslim hate, protecting freedom of speech, ensuring Muslim representation in government, safeguarding our communities, investing in our schools and more.”

Photo by Ayman Alamy

Enthusiastic endorsements

Milwaukee Islamic Dawah Center president Burhan Clark, who introduced Crowley at Saturday’s forum, explained why he supports Crowley. “We should understand this is someone who graduated from a high school in Milwaukee, got a degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, was a legislator in the State Assembly and was elected the youngest and first Black Milwaukee County Executive,” Clark said. “This is notable. These aren’t just a list of achievements. (Crowley is) from Milwaukee in a state where, even though Milwaukee is a place that contributes so much economically and culturally to our state, saying you’re from Milwaukee is considered a negative.

“There is a narrative in Wisconsin built on exclusion. It speaks against people from our part of the state,” Clark continued. “It’s important that we have someone who is representative of all of Wisconsin. 

“We are here because, with our support, David will be the next governor of Wisconsin. We are here because we want to make sure our needs are met, that our concerns are heard and that we have more access than an annual iftar.”

ISM director Othman Atta made his endorsement while responding to Milwaukee Islamic Dawah Center vice president Aminat Bakare that drew applause. “We are not united as a Muslim community,” she said. “If you go back across the viaduct, you have Black Muslim brothers and sisters on that side of town, too. It shouldn’t be that over on this side of town you’re flourishing, you’re growing and we are struggling over there. We do not need to be separated. We all need a seat at the table.” 

“I will tell you individually, in my personal capacity, I am fully endorsing David Crowley,” Atta said. “We have someone who wants to represent the entire community and our interests, and the interests of the people in the state,” Atta said about Crowley. “We need to make sure we vote. This election is going to make a huge difference.”

Crowley’s commitment

Crowley told the audience that included Muslims from southeastern Wisconsin and Madison he was there to listen, to understand and to learn how to move forward. “That’s how we build relationship,” he said. 

“I’m running to be governor of Wisconsin to make sure that Muslims in Wisconsin feel safe, that you are safe,” he said. “That you can have access to dignity, to capital, to make sure you can not only move your community forward but that we can come together because that’s the strength of this country.

“I’m running to be a governor for all of us … to make sure people can say whatever they want to say, to protect your First Amendment rights, to protect your ability to get access to capitalism to procurement. Just because you are speaking out against what is happening overseas or against this federal government, there should not be a foot on your neck. 

“There’s a target on your back if you do not look like them,” he said. “I am here because I want to make sure that we’re not just working together but we are protecting each other.

“There’s an old saying, ‘First they came for the Muslims and I didn’t speak up. They came for somebody else. If we don’t step up and stand with one another, there will be nobody to stand up at all.”

Crowley said, “we are at the table together, figuring out what we need to do. As governor, I want you all to know that I want to strengthen that connection.”

Photo by Ayman Alamy