Democrats have taken notice of this shift. Ahmed said her organization has been courted by several Democratic presidential candidates. Here in Utah, Democrats see Muslims as a welcome ally.

"This is a group that I think could certainly benefit by getting organized and involved," said Utah State Democratic Party chairman Donald Dunn, "and it could certainly be good for us."

Dunn said he sees no irony in a Democrat/Muslim alliance. "I think any time we can get more people registered and involved in politics it's a good thing, and I would welcome any group to do that."

Republicans say they see this as a disappointing loss but feel there is little they can do about it.

"They would normally be our constituency," said Utah State Republican Party Chairman Joe Cannon, "but for the small matter of Iraq …. I don't think there's anything we can do about that."

Cannon said he would hope in the future the bridge could be mended and that Muslims would feel at liberty to vote for local Republican candidates.

Tusneem said his group plans to register Muslims to vote in the coming months via community festivals, through the Internet and through mosques.

Ultimately, the goal of the Utah Muslim Forum is to educate Muslims about democracy, Tusneem said. "We want them to understand the concept of democracy better. That they can make a difference, and if they don't make their voices heard, somebody will make the choices for them," he said.

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