GAMVP Insights

Salaam GAMVP family,

I'm Xan-Rhea Bilal, the Senior Community Organizer entrusted with overseeing all Voter Registration and Get Out the Vote initiatives at GAMVP. Since 2020, I've dedicated myself to empowering our community through impactful voter engagement efforts. Over the years, myself and other GAMVP staff have encountered feelings of anxiousness and apprehension, hoping to see positive change from our elected leaders, who may be in the interest of retaining power rather than serving their constituents. While that may be the case sometimes, we have come to see positive change from electeds on all levels.

Every election season, the GAMVP staff anticipates making phone calls, knocking doors, and meeting folks out in the community. We thrive on this energy, and it helps us get Georgia Muslims to the polls. The May 21 primary election hasn’t evoked the same emotions for us or our communities. This Spring’s Get Out the Vote programming has felt different in a few ways.

Since the end of 2023, our organizing team has confronted apathy and outrage from various community members when discussing upcoming elections. People are growing increasingly frustrated by the absence of proactive measures in their communities aimed at safeguarding and uplifting their neighbors. Not only are they fed up with the treatment of folks at home, our communities are steadfast in their support for a ceasefire in Palestine, but are not seeing the same dedication to peace from their elected officials.

Conversely, we’ve seen intense passion in people. There are so many folks working to make Georgia and our world a better place for Muslims. We don’t deny the frustration or apathy our communities are feeling, but we must continue to hold onto the sliver of light in our dark world. Many desire to engage in the electoral process and harness the community’s power in any way possible. In doing so, they are standing up to the forces that are actively trying to silence our communities into complacency.

Along with the community members' encouragement, I am immensely inspired by our organizing team— mostly made up of young Muslims— that work tirelessly to make voting accessible for our community. Our team works on a micro level, supporting folks, day to day, through voter education to ensure that they have the tools to make informed decisions at the ballot box. They are steadfast, faithful, gracious, and kind in their work, always bringing their hearts to the field with them everyday. So, if you see our organizers in your neighborhood this GOTV season, thank them for their monumental work, building Muslim power in Georgia!