Muslim Elected Leader of Florida’s County

Bangladeshi-born Wahid Mahmood has won 109 of the votes against 103 to his rival incumbent Carol Ann Loehndorf, south Florida’s Sun-Sentinel newspaper reported December 5.

“I’m going to bring the party together,” said the 42-year-old businessman-turned-politician.

“There is no north and south county. There is no east and west county. Today is the beginning of the end of that. There is just Palm Beach County.”

He also reached out to arch-rival Labor members, offering an olive branch.

“I have tremendous respect for union folks, even though they may not think so,” he said.

The US Muslim community marked in September the third anniversary of the 9/11 attacks with strong condemnation of terrorism and determination to have a further political participation in the country.

Jewish Support

One of Mahmood’s champions is Jewish Sylvia Wolfe-Herman, who is a vice president of the United South County Democratic Club, according to Sun-Sentinel.

One of her missions in the past year was getting Mahmood acquainted with the largely Jewish Democratic leadership in south county.

“Until they got to know who he was and what he was all about … there was a mistrust,” she told the American daily.

Eventually his personality, enthusiasm for politics and affection for the Democratic Party won him many supporters, she added.

Andre Fladell, a prominent south county activist, helped Mahmood’s effort to become chairman, and considers Jewish support for the Muslim leader significant.

“He’s just an extraordinary character,” said Fladell.

Many Americans do believe that Muslims are part and parcel of the US’s multi-ethnic fabric who were regrettably discriminated against following the 9/11 attacks.

They told IslamOnline.net that Muslims had “excellent values, are very caring people, family oriented and very sincere in their religious belief.”

A May 2004 report released by the US Senate Office Of Research concluded that the Arab Americans and the Muslim community in the United States have taken the brunt of the Patriot Act and other federal powers applied in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.