Washington: Jewish and Christian rights group joined Muslims who are seeking action against Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert in the news for making a cooked-up claim about Rep. Ilhan Omar.
In an online petition signed so far by more than 17,300 people, progressive Christian group Faithful America said:
“It's a disgusting pattern of dangerous religious bigotry that cannot be allowed to continue”.
Boebert was recently caught on tape telling a made-up story about riding a Capitol elevator with Ilhan Omar in order to call her a terrorist:
"I said, well, lookey there, it's the Jihad Squad... She doesn't have a backpack... so we're good."
Boebert also said Omar and Muslim Rep. Rashida Tlaib are "black-hearted, evil women”.
“It was not the first time she's said such things about Islam. As a result, Omar is now receiving anonymous death threats”, the Christian group said.
“Muslim and Jewish civil-rights groups are now calling on House leaders to seek accountability for Boebert, who has previously suggested that only Christians should serve in Congress. Let's join them”, the Christian group said in the petition addressed to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Leader McCarthy.
“We need to show Congress that American Christians stand in solidarity with American Muslims, and tell Republican Leader McCarthy and Speaker Pelosi to formally censure Boebert”, it said.
“As grassroots Christians from across the country, we join the call of Muslim and Jewish civil rights groups who are demanding swift condemnation of Rep. Lauren Boebert's unacceptable and un-American hatred”, the group said.
“We ask that you formally censure Rep. Boebert for her repeated verbal assaults against our Muslim siblings and against religious freedom itself. An attack on one of us is an attack on us all”, Faithful America said.
Earlier, 62 Muslim Congressional staff members in an open letter said that US Representative Lauren Boebert's recent Islamophobic comments against Omar had created "a feeling of anxiety and fear" on Capitol Hill.
"Witnessing unchecked harassment of one of only 3 Muslim Members of Congress - and the only visible Muslim Member - we feel that our workplace is neither safe nor welcome," read the letter which was also signed by 378 allied staffers.
"We must now come to work every day knowing that the same Members and staff who perpetuate Islamophobic tropes and insinuate that we are terrorists, also walk by us in the halls of Congress”, the Muslim staffers said.
In her response, Iman Jodeh, Colorado’s first Muslim state lawmaker, said words — like those used by Lauren Boebert — have consequences, as reported by Colorado Newsline.
“(Boebert’s) rhetoric is what continues to fuel that hate towards Muslims and gives this unspoken permission to continue that hate,” said state Rep. Iman Jodeh, an Aurora Democrat who is the spokeswoman for the Colorado Muslim Society.
“As Muslims, when we hear this kind of rhetoric, we also become scared of her supporters and (have) kind of this heightened awareness of our safety”, she said.
Meanwhile, after the backlash against her Islamophobic remarks, Boebert tendered an apology to the Muslim community and said she'd reach out to Omar.
"I apologize to anyone in the Muslim community I offended with my comment about Rep. Omar. I have reached out to her office to speak with her directly. There are plenty of policy differences to focus on without this unnecessary distraction," the Colorado Republican tweeted on November 26.
Boebert later reportedly called Ilhan Omar. Omar however said Boebert was not ready to publicly acknowledge what she described her “hurtful and dangerous" comments.
"Instead of apologizing for her Islamophobic comments and fabricated lies, Rep. Boebert refused to publicly acknowledge her hurtful and dangerous comments. She instead doubled down on her rhetoric and I decided to end the unproductive call," the Minnesota Democrat explained.
For all the latest News, Opinions and Views, download ummid.com App.
Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic.
