The Democratic winner of the Feb. 13 midterms is veteran politician Tom Suozzi.
Israel's war on Gaza has apparently reached the streets of New York. Not only has it pitted New Yorkers against the government and its elected representatives, but it has also caused rifts among Pakistani-Americans.
This fact has become more evident during the recent special midterms in New York's 3rd district. The race itself was divisive for many reasons. However, it was even more so due to the candidates' extreme pro-Israel stance.
Many Muslim voters, who have deep sympathies for the Palestinians, found themselves in a bind choosing between the devil and the deep blue sea.
As feared, the elections fueled their feelings not only against the candidates but also against those who supported and participated in their campaigns.
The special election was held after serial Republican liar George Santos was shamefully removed from Congress on corruption charges. The scammer also lied about his Jewish ancestry.
The Democratic winner of the Feb. 13 midterms is veteran politician Tom Suozzi. He is a son of the state who was previously elected Nassau County Executive and Glen Cove Mayor. Since 2017, he also serves as a member of the House of Representatives.
The views of Suozzi, 61, had been known to most Pakistani-Americans for at least three decades. Throughout his political career, Suozzi had attended several events organized by this vibrant community and had also visited Pakistan during the devastating flood.
His Republican rival Mazi Melesa Pilip was a lesser-known figure. When he was 12 years old, his family moved from Ethiopia to Israel. Before immigrating to Nassau County, he had served in the elite Parachute Brigade of the Israel Defense Forces.
Her background was enough to upset many Muslim voters who equated her with the current IDF involved in the genocide of Palestinians. On the other hand, Suozzi's unequivocal support for Israel had also perplexed them.
Additionally, the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA) endorsed Tom Suozzi for turning the red congressional district blue.
In its statement, JDCA asked to join “Our efforts to elect Tom Suozzi, who aligns with Jewish voters on all key issues, including fighting anti-Semitism… and supporting Israel.”
The NY-03 congressional district is diverse in every way. It is home to 742,000 people and nearly a quarter are Asian Americans. About 11% of voters identify as Jewish and approximately 18,000 are Muslim. Most of them come from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.
The American Pakistani Public Affairs Committee (APPAC), which had previously supported leading Democrats and Republicans, hosted both Suozzi and Mazi. The goal was to listen to them before making any decision.
A participant who wished to remain anonymous told this scribe that a high-ranking member of APPAC confronted Suozzi about his pro-Israel stance. He asked Suozzi: “How can you sleep at night when Israel indiscriminately bombs Gaza and kills thousands of innocent Palestinians, including women and children?”
According to another participant, this infuriated Suozzi, who commented that at least he was there to meet Pakistani Muslims. The Democrat angrily claimed that Mazi would not even meet with Muslims.
Surprisingly, it was Mazi Pilip who requested a meeting with the influential Pakistani-American organization.
After the meeting, Shahid Ali, APPAC's communications director, stated that “APPAC had confronted Mazi on the Gaza issue, which is very near and dear to us and we will never compromise on it.”
In the end, APPAC refrained from endorsing or donating money to either candidate. In its statement, APPAC clarified: “Our decision reflects our commitment to impartiality and ensuring that our endorsement process remains fair and equitable.”
However, a photo of APPAC's meeting with Mazi was enough to incite hatred against members of this non-partisan organization. They were labeled “Opportunists, a group of traitors, pigs and wolves in sheep's clothing.”
In a comment on social media, a user identifying himself as Malikk commented: “How disappointing… Subhanallah, the moment… exactly when Rafah is being wiped out.”
Another who goes by the nickname jiji jku commented: “Name them and shame them. Cops love clout chasers and now they support this clown iof. I'm glad they're calling them out after years of hurting POC.”
Coalitionforlwli mocked saying: 'Absolutely embarrassing lol. The weight of their purse is more than the weight of their lives to them, shameless and greedy.”
The troll continued even though a Pakistani American, Chaudhry Akram, clarified that he had attended a meeting with Mazi in his personal capacity. He also admitted not being associated with APPAC.
Akram said: “I accidentally made a mistake and said WE support Mazi Pilip.” He further stated that “I want to be clear: this statement only reflects my personal opinion.” “I apologize for speaking on behalf of others in the room or the community at large.”
However, the troll continued. Miniboythecat commented that, “Promoting Maqlooba's fundraising but standing shoulder to shoulder with an IDF supporter, MAKES IT MAKE SENSE.”
Aysh_k14 said: “The fact that you were there is enough to ask you to resign. Shocked!!”
Some even urged their followers to boycott APPAC. Sofinakat said: “Boycott their businesses, don't let them forget it.”
A few who knew the truth came to rescue APPAC.
Theimankhan explained: “I know this organization and Dr. Ijaz very well and they will not be supporting any candidate this year. They have met with the candidates only to express their concerns and what the Pakistani community needs. Please do not spread information! wrong!”
Meanwhile, Seherdemiral0914 stated: “The munafiks are being exposed. Just as they promised.”
Apparently, those who couldn't vent their anger enough decided to go one step further. They wrote “sold” in color or blood outside Raza Datagir's house.
Raza had attended the meeting with Mazi only to confront the Republican. Like Akram, he too was not a member of APPAC. However, he ended up facing a hate crime that caused his wife and children to leave his house hysterically.
It is evident that in the name of Israel's war on Gaza, some people are settling scores while others blindly follow.
It will not be surprising if this war of words on social media ends up damaging the lives and properties of those who hold opposing views or are being portrayed as “munafiq”.
The controversies generated during the NY-03 special by-election are just the beginning.
If strict measures are not taken, the presidential election may further divide the Muslim community. After all, both Donald Trump and Joe Biden are backtracking on supporting “Israel's genocide of Palestinians.”
