ROYAL OAK, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – In what some might call a PR blunder, Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign reportedly booted a prominent Muslim-American Democrat from a campaign event in Royal Oak, Michigan according to Breitbart News.

Ahmed Ghanim, a former Democratic congressional candidate in Oakland County, was escorted out of the venue, apparently without a clear explanation. While Harris’s team, in a statement, says it regrets the “impact on Dr. Ghanim and the community,” one has to wonder: how did this mess even happen?

Come on in…or maybe don’t?

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Ahmed Ghanim, who lives minutes from the rally location, arrived with no logos, signs, or apparent agenda, he says. Just a seat and a plan to listen. However, within ten minutes, Harris’s staff was asking him to leave.

On his X account, Ghanim described the encounter as baffling, noting that his simple question “Why” got no response from staffers. According to Ghanim, they also added a threat, warning that police involvement was next if he didn’t comply.

In a video posted online, Ghanim pointed out the irony of being kicked out of a Democrat’s rally. Back in 2016, he recalls, Muslims were often shown the door at Trump events. Fast forward to 2024, and now they’re getting the same treatment from Democrats.

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WXYZ-Detroit reporter Faraz Javed interviewed Dr. Ghanim to find out why Ghanim was singled out from a crowd of approximately 200 people to listen to the Vice President. Ghanim said, “I was actually sitting, answering my phone, I was not even engaged in any conversation with anyone. And I got singled out. A lady came to me and said can you follow me please. And when we went to the door, I found two police officers waiting for me there and threatening me if I don’t leave, they will put me in the back of the police car.”

The Secret Service clarified with WXYZ-Detroit that Ahmed was not considered a threat to the event, and no agents were involved in the incident. Meanwhile, the Royal Oak Police confirmed that the man seen in the video is one of their detectives, and someone from the venue revoked Ahmed’s invitation.

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Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump has been meeting with Muslim leaders to get their support and has gotten the endorsement of Muslim Hamtramck Mayor Ameer Ghalib. Trump has been making headway among Arab American voters, especially in southeast Michigan. Recent polling suggests Arab American voters are warming up to Trump, with many feeling let down by the Biden administration’s stance on Middle East conflicts.

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This shift is not just anecdotal – an Arab News/YouGov poll found Trump leading Harris among Arab Americans by a slim margin: 45% to 43%. Arab Americans are not only discontent with the Biden administration’s approach to the Israel-Palestine conflict, but they’re also now questioning how genuinely inclusive the Democrats are when their rallies end with a one-way trip to the exit.

Was it the suit, the religion, or just bad timing?

The Harris campaign quickly put out a damage control statement about the incident, assuring that Ghanim is “welcome at future events” and emphasizing its commitment to Muslim American voters. Yet, Ghanim’s ejection is hardly an isolated incident when it comes to ignoring the Arab-American community.

Arab and Muslim communities have been vocal about feeling marginalized by the party for a while now. From Gaza-related protests being shut down at rallies to Palestinian American lawmakers being blocked from speaking at the Democratic National Convention, it seems Harris’s campaign is struggling to strike the right balance.

Basim Elkarra, Executive Director of CAIR Action in Michigan, didn’t hold back, calling the incident a risky again that could backfire for Democrats. He suggested that Democrats could end up driving Muslim voters straight into Trump’s arms. Elkarra said, “As Donald Trump ramps up his outreach to the Muslim and Arab communities, the Harris campaign removes, under threat of arrest, a Muslim community leader who merely responded to an invitation. This disturbing action on the part of the Harris campaign sends a dangerous message of exclusion to the Muslim community.”

As for Ghanim, he says his experience only confirms a growing sentiment among his community: “If that happened to me, imagine what would happen to any other Muslim?” he asked on X.

He also said to WXYZ-Detroit, “This is my city, so if this happens to me in my city where I should feel safe. And inside the safety of the party that I was running. How do you think that is going to make me feel other than being an outcast?”