DEARBORN — In an exclusive interview with The AANews,  Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders discussed pressing issues pertaining to the Arab and Muslim communities during a stop in Dearborn, where he was campaigning for Hillary Clinton. Below is our question and answer session with the former Democratic presidential candidate. 

The AANews: Many Muslim and Arab residents are unenthused about this election due to the rhetoric that’s often targeting the community. What message would you send to them?

Sanders: I would hope that Arab Americans and all Americans understand the importance of this election. And it’s not just because of [Republican candidate Donald] Trump’s disastrous views on economics and his desire to give tax breaks to billionaires or his terrible views on the environment and his denial of the reality of climate change. But he has made bigotry the cornerstone of his campaign. I think the entire minority community, whether it’s Arabs, Latinos, Asians or African Americans, should be very concerned about the posture of a presidential candidate who’s trying to divide us up. We need a large voter turnout to support Hillary Clinton, who I believe very sincerely is trying to bring us together as one people.

The AANews: A majority of the Arab American community is concerned about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, an issue that you often addressed during your campaign. Some residents are reluctant to vote for Secretary Clinton because of this reason. Do you think she will address these concerns?

Sanders: I certainly think she will. It goes without saying that Israel has an absolute right to exist in freedom and security and not be subjected to terrorist attacks. And I speak for myself now…We also have to be mindful of the terrible situation in Gaza and the kind of suffering there and the destruction that took place. I think it is the function of the U.S., in my view as a senator, to be dealing with that situation in an even-handed way as possible. And I’m not going to tell you this is easy. People have been working on this for 50 years; and there’s enough blame to go around on Israel and the Palestinian community that we have not yet reached the kind of agreements that we need for both people.”

The AANews: Some local Arabs and Muslims have been wrongfully placed on “terrorist watch” and “no fly” lists. Is Secretary Clinton aware of this and what can we do to correct it?

Sanders: I’m sure that she is, but I’m not here as an official spokesman for Secretary Clinton on any issue. But we are all aware. I’m a U.S. senator and I’m aware about that. Look, our goal is two-fold. Terrorism is a very serious threat for this country and we have to do everything we can to prevent terrorist attacks. On the other hand, we have to act in a way that is Constitutional and be as effective as we can to make sure people are not put on lists who should not be put on those lists.”

The AANews: What advice would you give Arab and Muslim Americans who want to run for office, but feel they don’t have a chance because of the political climate?

Sanders: Maybe talk to my good friend Keith Ellison [who represents Minneapolis in the House of Representatives]. I was just with Keith the other day. He played a very important role in my campaign. Keith is a very proud Muslim. You asked me about the importance of the election and some people sitting it out. Hillary Clinton understands that in her America, the America I believe in, everybody— no matter your color or religion— should have the opportunity to do anything he or she wants, including certainly running for public office. Our goal is to end discrimination, which is exactly the opposite of what Trump is trying to do. He’s running a campaign to try and divide us up. I would say to the people in the Muslim community, we have elected an African American as a president of the U.S.  Thirty years ago, nobody thought that was possible. But it happened. We’ve got to continue moving forward, so that we can elect people based on their ideas, not the color of their skin or their religion.