vote

Elections are a time-honored tradition and a great blessing. They offer an opportunity that continues to elude millions of people around the world, who are still living in countries where choosing your leader is a concept either anathema to the status quo or limited to a privileged few.

Being an active participant in elections involves more than just registering to vote and voting. Americans, all of us, need to be directly engaged in the process of selecting this kind of a leader. Here are a couple of ways to do that.

Forty-five percent of Americans would not want a Muslim president, according to a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center in August 2007. That compares to 25 percent who said they would be less likely to vote for a Mormon candidate and 11 percent who would be less likely to vote for a Jew.

t seems America is putting forth its jewels of diversity. More Americans are voting and the concerns for our nation and the world are high. Choosing the right candidate to run the most powerful nation on the planet, three issues are of critical importance for our community.

This weekend, in the interest of America and the future of this great country, I ask you to dedicate these two precious days, just 48 hours, to encourage your circle of control, that is your family, friends and community, to vote in Tuesday's elections. Here are a few easy things you can do that can make a difference.

When a few days before election 2004 a BBC reporter asked me about the possibility of election fraud, I felt deeply offended and start defending America. I told him these were not elections being held in a Third World country. This was America. Now I am beginning to feel my defense was based more on nationalistic reaction than the truth.

With regards to voting, Muslims, for the most part, have divided into two groups: those who agree that Muslims should vote and those that don't. This is an old disagreement. But the key in all of this is to maintain respect and decency amongst Muslims, with no breakdown of relations. Here are some tips.