WASHINGTON—Today, every Muslim Member of Congress—Reps. André Carson (D-IN), Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI)—issued the following statement on Rep. Ryan Zinke’s new bill to expel Palestinians from the United States and the unchecked anti-Muslim hate speech poisoning political discourse.
“As the three Muslim Members of Congress, we are horrified by Rep. Ryan Zinke’s recently introduced bill to pause all visas, refugee status and granting of asylum for individuals holding a passport issued by the Palestinian Authority (PA) indefinitely—and to revoke others.
“Let’s be clear: using the full power of the state to target and persecute a particular ethnic group or nationality is fascism and pure bigotry. This legislation—by a former cabinet official no less—directly violates the U.S. Constitution, and would illegally destroy the lives of the hundreds of thousands of Palestinian immigrants who live in and contribute to American society. Though intended to target Muslims, this bill will also hurt Palestinian Christians, who will be targeted by these provisions. History will harshly judge this xenophobic, punitive and unconstitutional measure.
“Unfortunately, this legislation is part of a growing tide of bigoted anti-Muslim, anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian hate pervading our politics. Senator Lindsey Graham went on national television to declare a ‘religious war’ and said we should ‘level’ the Gaza Strip. Senator Marco Rubio, when asked specifically about avoiding civilian casualties in Gaza, said Israel cannot co-exist with quote ‘these savages…they have to be eradicated.’ Max Miller said Gaza was going to be ‘turned into a parking lot.’ Just last week, Representative Brian Mast questioned the very idea that Palestinian civilians exist and compared them to Nazis.
“This dangerous rhetoric is already costing lives—as the murder of 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy Wadea Al-Fayoume in Chicago so tragically highlights, plus the over 10,000 people murdered in Gaza, almost half of whom are innocent children. This targeting does not just put Palestinian-American lives at risk, but all Muslim-Americans, Arab-Americans, Sikhs, and other people of color who share our identities.
“We call on the leadership of both parties to vocally and specifically condemn these comments and legislation, to make clear that anti-Muslim and anti-Arab hate has no place in our politics, and to name it when it happens.”
### |