May 13, 2019
Issue: Fighting Bigotry
Muslim Advocates: Latest Dishonest Attacks on Rep. Tlaib Out of Familiar Anti-Muslim Playbook
GOP Strategy is to Twist, Distort & Demonize
WASHINGTON, DC — The following is a statement from Muslim Advocates Executive Director Farhana Khera on the Republicans’ dishonest, bigoted attacks on Rep. Rashid Tlaib:
“President Trump, Rep. Liz Cheney and Rep. Steve Scalise, are leaders in our government who are blatantly lying and cynically fanning the flames of anti-Muslim bigotry. Their faux outrage over Rep. Tlaib’s comments is beyond reproach.
At this point, the playbook is clear: target any American Muslim who dares enter public life, twist and distort their words, call them anti-Semitic or supportive of terrorism, and then use this manufactured outrage to run on hate in 2020.
American Muslims in public life are relentlessly attacked as anti-Semitic, anti-LGBTQ and anti-woman; they are accused of supporting extremist violence, of being part of an imaginary global Muslim conspiracy, and of being disloyal to the United States. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar are Muslim women who are now members of Congress — and that is why they have been targeted and now smeared and demonized.
For the millions of American Muslims, these attacks have real life consequences. Hate-motivated violence has led to attacks on mosques, pedestrians and people in their own homes.
To the media and to everyone who genuinely cares about stopping bigotry in all forms, I implore you to recognize this pattern and resist becoming a pawn in the Republicans’ cynical campaign strategy.
To those who truly believe that religious freedom should apply to all Americans, now is the time to speak out. American Muslims should be able to run and seek office in this country without being subjected to a relentlessly bigoted attack machine.
It’s time for all Americans to decide if they’ll stand against these anti-Muslim tropes and attacks or if they will give in to the politics of fear and bigotry.”
Muslim Advocates is a national civil rights organization working in the courts, in the halls of power and in communities to halt bigotry in its tracks. We ensure that American Muslims have a seat at the table with expert representation so that all Americans may live free from hate and discrimination.
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