Kerry vs. Bush: What Lesser Evil?

As the 2004 Presidential Election draws near, local sheikhs and khatibs are starting to tell us to vote again. A few weeks ago, this writer attended a khutbah where the imam gave a fiery speech calling on Muslims in the USA to help "get Bush out"-and put his opponent John Kerry in. And to explain why, he gave the running argument: the Senator from Massachusetts is the lesser of the two evils. For a lot of people who won't bear sitting out this election dance, that is reason enough to vote for Kerry. At the same time, though, they probably would have a hard time explaining how Kerry is a lesser evil than Bush.

Of course, such an explanation can't be made. We Muslims need to understand that there is no such thing as a "lesser evil" when comparing leaders who do not rule by Islam. Each one is as bad as the other in his (or her) own way. Of course, John Kerry plans to rule by the same ideas and the same laws as the current President. As we shall see, in sha' Allah, removing President Bush from office and electing John Kerry doesn't fix anything for Muslims.

There are five key issues that concern nearly all Muslims: the US war against "terrorism", the US occupation of Iraq & Afghanistan, the overwhelming US support for Israel, the sending of even more US troops to the Middle East, and domestically, the USA PATRIOT Act. We all know by now President Bush's stance on these issues. Does Presidential Candidate John Kerry disagree with what Bush and his crew are doing in the Islamic world, and is he truly the lesser evil?

What would a President Kerry do about the big issue, the so-called "war on terrorism"? Finding the answer starts with the understanding that the "war on terror" is not about making people safe; it is actually an ideological war against Islam itself. This is not a conspiracy-theorist's delusion; US Government officials themselves proclaim this. The Staff Director of the 911 Commission said on the record, "Let's be real, the war against terrorism is actually a war against fundamental Islamics [This isn't a typo; the man actually said it that way!-Ed.]: terrorism is just a euphemism" (NPR, May 25th). As for as the "war on terrorism", Kerry has said on several occasions, "I think I can wage a more effective war on terror than George Bush is waging". He has also said, "As long as I'm involved, terrorists will be shut down, and democracy will prevail" (CNN, May 26th).

What about the US occupations of Iraq & Afghanistan? Well, there is no difference there: both Bush and Kerry are strong backers of the occupations. Both want an increase of forces in the Middle East, and neither wants US troops out anytime soon. How about US support for Israel? In a speech Kerry recently delivered in Washington he said, "I'm an unyielding supporter of Israel, and the security of Israel is paramount". Kerry has also made it clear that he likes Israel's wall-like barrier, the same barrier that's caging the Muslims in Palestine like animals. And how about the USA PATRIOT Act, the same law that is making life very difficult for harmless Muslims in America? No surprise there either; Kerry voted for the Act and has re-emphasized his support for it. Even the New York Times has reported that they can't see a difference between Bush and Kerry (May 25th).

So at the next khutbah we are told to vote, even just for the sake of voting, we must not forget that Islam forbids Muslims from assisting a non-Islamic system in making and enforcing laws that are against Allah's (subhanahu wa ta'ala). It is forbidden for a Muslim to help someone commit haram acts. No matter how some people say it, redefine it, flip it, spin it, or twist it, your vote will help a man attain a Presidential power that without doubt will be used to commit haram acts, especially against our Muslim brothers and sisters. (Submitted 8/29/2004)