On Thursday, Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib slammed her party’s leaders by suggesting they are prejudiced, and claimed that freedom of speech “doesn’t exist” for Muslim congresswomen.
This came after House Democratic leaders reprimanded Tlaib’s colleague and fellow Muslim, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. Tlaib made her comments on Twitter.
“Freedom of speech doesn’t exist for Muslim women in Congress,” Tlaib tweeted. “The benefit of the doubt doesn’t exist for Muslim women in Congress.”
“House Democratic leadership should be ashamed of its relentless, exclusive tone policing of Congresswomen of color,” she added.
Freedom of speech doesn't exist for Muslim women in Congress. The benefit of the doubt doesn't exist for Muslim women in Congress. House Democratic leadership should be ashamed of its relentless, exclusive tone policing of Congresswomen of color.
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) June 10, 2021
Tlaib: ‘Freedom Of Speech Doesn’t Exist For Muslim Women In Congress’
Tlaib’s angry comments came in the wake of Democratic leadership’s response to comments Omar made around a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing.
Omar had questioned Secretary of State Antony Blinken about International Criminal Court investigations.
Then Omar seemed to compare the U.S. and Israel with the Taliban.
“We must have the same level of accountability and justice for all victims of crimes against humanity. We have seen unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan, and the Taliban,” Omar tweeted.
We must have the same level of accountability and justice for all victims of crimes against humanity.
We have seen unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan, and the Taliban.
I asked @SecBlinken where people are supposed to go for justice. pic.twitter.com/tUtxW5cIow
— Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) June 7, 2021
Jewish Democrats Not Happy With Omar Over Comments
Jewish Democrats were not happy about Omar’s remarks and demanded that she “clarify” what she said.
The group of Jewish Dems issued a statement.
“The United States and Israel are imperfect and, like all democracies, at times deserving of critique, but false equivalencies give cover to terrorist groups,” the statement read.
It continued, “We urge Congresswoman Omar to clarify her words placing the U.S. and Israel in the same category as Hamas and the Taliban.”
Omar eventually backtracked a bit, saying that she “was in no way equating terrorist organizations with democratic countries with well-established judicial systems.”
But Omar also said on Wednesday that the Jewish lawmakers’ statement was “offensive.”
“The islamophobic tropes in this statement are offensive,” Omar tweeted. “The constant harassment & silencing from the signers of this letter is unbearable.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined all other House leadership in condemning Omar for her comments.
The scolding of Omar was delivered in a statement by Pelosi and the entire House Democratic leadership team.https://t.co/8E9SBMCE3J
— The Daily NewsBeat (@NowMediaScott) June 10, 2021
“Legitimate criticism of the policies of both the United States and Israel is protected by the values of free speech and democratic debate,” a statement from leadership read.
It continued, “And indeed, such criticism is essential to the strength and health of our democracies.”
“But drawing false equivalencies between democracies like the U.S. and Israel and groups that engage in terrorism like Hamas and the Taliban foments prejudice and undermines progress toward a future of peace and security for all,” the statement finished.
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