Maine
Maine’s Iraqi community wants to boost voter turnout
On a current morning at Al Naeem Market, a small Iraqi meals retailer in downtown Augusta, proprietor Ismael Al Kattea stood behind the counter, chatting with prospects.
One of many prospects was Hameed Al Abbas. Talking in Arabic, Al Abbas, who’s initially from Iraq, mentioned he needs elected leaders to give attention to options to the area’s housing challenges.
As a registered voter himself, Al Abbas mentioned he’d additionally prefer to see extra Iraqi residents take part within the election.
It’s a aim shared by the newly fashioned Iraqi Neighborhood Middle. Since August, the group has been canvassing Arabic-speaking households in Biddeford, Westbrook, Portland and Augusta, serving to folks register to vote, handing out translated voter guides and arranging transportation to the polls.
Falah Waheeb, who lives in Waterville, is already offered on the significance of voting.
“What’s the which means of ‘We’re the folks?’” Waheeb mentioned, whereas stopping by Al Naeem Market. “‘We’re the folks’ means we’re the choice makers. Not he’s the folks, or she is the folks, no. We,” he added, emphatically.
Waheeb mentioned immigration reform is amongst his prime priorities. One among his daughters continues to be caught in Iraq — a outcome, he mentioned, of former President Donald Trump’s journey ban on a number of Muslim-majority international locations.
However Waheeb mentioned he doesn’t blame the Republican Celebration. He mentioned he’s an enormous fan of the Bush household, and likes some native GOP candidates, too, even whereas supporting Democratic Gov. Janet Mills.
“I don’t decide folks as a result of they’re Republicans or Democrats. No, I’ll decide them for what they do, or what they [have] accomplished,” he mentioned.
Iraqi neighborhood leaders estimate they’ve helped register greater than 300 new voters from Arabic talking communities in Maine over the previous few months. The work is funded by a grant from the Maine Voices Community, one department of a nationwide, nonpartisan voter empowerment group.
A lot of the legwork has been accomplished by a group of canvassers that features 21-year-old Bashar Khalaf, a biology scholar on the College of Maine at Augusta.
On a current afternoon, Khalaf was knocking doorways in a housing growth in Augusta, carrying a stack of purple voter guidebooks translated into Arabic by the League of Girls Voters in a single hand.
“The entire aim — I simply need everybody to take part,” Khalaf mentioned. “I really feel it’s a part of our proper.”
However not everybody can.
“As a result of it’s good to be a citizen to have the ability to vote. I’m not but,” mentioned Ather Oufi, {an electrical} engineer from Iraq who’s lived within the U.S. for 5 years.
Oufi mentioned he cares deeply about local weather change and immigration, and mentioned it’s powerful not to have the ability to vote on these points.
“That’s actually arduous and unhappy for me, as a result of I actually need to do it. Sadly, not now. However perhaps sooner or later, I’ll,” he mentioned.
For now, Oufi mentioned he’s studying up on the totally different events’ platforms. He mentioned he hopes to turn into a U.S. citizen — and a voter — subsequent 12 months.
One new voter who was capable of register this 12 months is Bashar Khalaf’s father, Abdullah. Abdullah was raised in Kuwait, however mentioned he couldn’t vote in that nation as a result of his household was from Iraq.
Now, at age 57, Abdullah mentioned he’s getting ready to vote for the primary time in his life. Talking in Arabic as his son interpreted, Abdullah mentioned it’s an essential second.
“Now I’m a U.S. citizen. Now I’ve this energy, which makes me the happiest man, you realize, with the ability to take part within the voting,” Abdullah mentioned.
Abdullah mentioned one of many points he cares most about is training. He mentioned he plans to solid his poll in-person on Election Day.
This text seems by means of a media partnership with Maine Public.