Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota), is facing Islamophobic attacks by Rep. Lauren Boebert, (R-Colorado), and other far-right members. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has joined a chorus condemning Republicans’ silence on the matter.
On Tuesday, Omar Shared a voicemailAfter a video of Boebert cruelly suggesting that Omar is a terrorist due to her faith, she received a call from her. The caller who left the harrowing voicemail made several threats to Omar’s life while hurling racist slurs and profanities against her. This is only one of the many death threats that she received after Boebert’s video was posted online, Omar said.
Ocasio Cortez condemned Republicans in a Twitter message on Wednesday. “People truly don’t understand the scaleTargeting intensity, volume and type of threats [Ilhan Omar],” she wrote. “Kevin McCarthy is so We are desperate to be a speakerHe said that he is working together with his Ku Klux Klan members to make Congress more accepting of violent targeting of woc Congressmen. This cannot be ignored.”
McCarthy has been the minority leader of the House and has encouraged the most hateful behaviours within his caucus. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Arizona), who posted a video showing an anime version of him killing Ocasio-Cortez, and threatening President Joe Biden using swords, made a violent threat against Ocasio-Cortez.
The House Voted to censure GosarOnly two Republicans joined Democrats to remove Gosar from his committee assignments after he was threatened. Meanwhile, McCarthy and other Republicans defended Gosar through the debacle, minimizing Gosar’s role in posting the fantasy video of him murdering the progressive lawmaker.
McCarthy has not spoken out about Omar’s threats, indicating his tacit support for the Islamophobia he has been subject to.
“While people toss out clichés like ‘we condemn all forms of racism and bigotry,’ the fact is Islamophobia is far too often tolerated and ignored,” Ocasio-Cortez continued on Wednesday. “Bigotry is not made unacceptable by what one says about it, it’s made acceptable based on whether there are consequences for it or not.”
The New York lawmaker concluded by warning about the consequences for allowing the GOP’s dangerous far-right tactics to continue unchecked. “GOP are given freedom to incite without consequence. They don’t have to pay for the security required from their acts — we do. They make money off it,” she wrote, adding that they “are targeting those least likely to be institutionally protected first.”
Progressive lawmakers like OmarAnd Ocasio-CortezPersonal safety protocols have been added to protect against death threats and violent messages. These threats are not just coming from the public; Ocasio Cortez previously stated that She has feared for fellow lawmakersEspecially during the attack on Capitol Hill on January 6.
Republicans seem to be Acceptance of these practices is increasingViolence and threats against political adversaries, even members of their own party. Fred Upton, a Republican representative from Michigan, was recently threatened with death after he voted in favor of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which a large portion of the caucus opposed. The threat came after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) posted Upton’s office number online, calling him and other Republicans who voted for the bill “traitors.”
These tactics aren’t just psychologically harmful — they can also lead to real life violence, as Omar pointed out in her press conference on Tuesday. Attacks on Muslims are also increasing as Islamophobic vitriol rises. This was clearly demonstrated under former President Donald TrumpHe was a regular implementer of Islamophobic policies and used hateful language.
Normalization Republicans embrace fascismIt appears to be extremely cynical fundraising tactic. In recent years, Trump-inspired Republicans have made increasingly disgusting comments. They cry that they’re being cancelled — kicked off of Twitter for a day, or criticized by Democrats — and then send emails telling followers that the only way to fight back is to fill their campaign coffers to the brim.
Democratic leaders have been contemplating what to do against Boebert after the Omar attacks. Some lawmakers have called on Boebert’s resignation Removed from her committee assignments, a punishment similar in nature to that suffered by Gosar.
