Three Democrats are blocking a win Biden desperately needs [View all]

Three Democrats are blocking a win Biden desperately needs

Not confirming Adeel Mangi as the first Muslim American in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit could add to angst in the Muslim American community.

https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/adeel-mangi-biden-nominee-appeals-court-judge-rcna145507

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By Dean Obeidallah, MSNBC Columnist

When in November President Joe Biden nominated Harvard and Oxford-educated lawyer Adeel Mangi to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, the choice was immediately celebrated. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy noted Mangi was a “well-respected” lawyer and an “outstanding” choice. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., echoed that sentiment, sharing that he has known Mangi for years and had “seen firsthand that he is a person of integrity and deep conviction with an unflinching commitment to fairness and equality.”

Mangi received the vocal support of other notable senators like Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and was given a unanimous “Well Qualified” rating by the American Bar Association. Given that, you would expect that Mangi would easily be confirmed.

But there’s one wrinkle. Mangi is Muslim. In fact, if confirmed, Mangi would be the first Muslim American ever to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t take long for Republicans to manufacture objections, ranging from claiming Mangi is somehow not anti-terrorism enough to claiming he is “anti-police.” That type of Islamophobic rhetoric from the GOP is expected. What wasn’t anticipated is that a few Senate Democrats are now joining in opposing Mangi — thus, depriving Biden of a much-needed win in his efforts to regain the trust of Muslim Americans who've lost faith in him following his handling so far of Israel's brutal assault in Gaza.

A number of Muslim American organizations have become invested in supporting Mangi’s confirmation, including Emgage, a national organization that focuses on mobilizing Muslims to vote; the Muslim Bar Association of New York; Muslims for Progressive Values; the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and more. As a member of the Muslim community, I have received numerous emails and text messages from people in the community expressing support for Mangi and outrage over the smear campaign to block him. I’m not suggesting Mangi’s confirmation alone will convince the many Muslim Americans rightfully angered over Biden’s continued support for funding Israel since Oct. 7 to vote for him in November. But not confirming the first Muslim American in this role could add to the angst in the community if it’s seen that Biden didn’t fight hard enough for Mangi.

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