The Muslim Democratic Club of New York (MDCNY) condems rulings by the Board of Elections to force two Muslim women candidates—Mary Jobaida (Assembly candidate for AD-37) and Moumita Ahmed (District Leader candidate for AD-24)—off of the ballot in their respective elections, with the rulings coming on the eve of Ramadan, the holiest month of the Islamic calendar.
The Board’s decision to disqualify Mary and Moumita based on a frivolous technicality relating to their use of nicknames is a travesty of the democratic process. The ruling goes against established precedent, common practice by all candidates, including candidates for the presidency of the United States, and comes in the midst of a pandemic that is disproportionately impacting Bangladeshi New Yorkers in Queens,—a community that Mary and Moumita would be the first to represent in their respective offices.
Yesterday’s actions by the Board—along with its bizarre interpretation of petitioning requirements to force City Council candidate Sandra Nurse (CCD-37) off the ballot—only serve to reinforce the perception that the BOE is implementing an agenda to protect incumbents, political machines, and the status quo.
“The BOE is using the cover of coronavirus to disadvantage candidates seeking to improve diversity and representation in our local government. We should all be outraged,” said Tahanie Aboushi, president of MDCNY.
MDCNY calls on Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo to condemn the rulings.
MDCNY has endorsed both Jobaida and Ahmed and looks forward to supporting these candidates in their legal battle against the BOE’s absurd rulings and to building a city where all communities are represented and given an equitable chance to participate in the democratic process.
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