Muslim Congress Members See Spike in Death Threats Amid Israel-Gaza War, Mirroring Nationwide Trend
While Omar strongly denounced the Hamas attack that sparked the current conflict, her ongoing criticism of the U.S.'s involvement with Israel have made her subject to Islamophobia and targeted threats, with individuals falsely equating her concern about Palestinians with support for Hamas, NBC News reported on Oct 20.
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), one of Congress' few Muslim members, shared with NBC News a tranche of death threats she says she's received amid the Israel-Gaza war.
While Omar strongly denounced the Hamas attack that sparked the current conflict, her ongoing criticism of the U.S.'s involvement with Israel have made her subject to Islamophobia and targeted threats, with individuals falsely equating her concern about Palestinians with support for Hamas, NBC News reported on Oct 20.
One of the threatening voicemails shared with NBC News called Omar a ‘terrorist Muslim.’ Another message alleged that she and her children were being surveilled by a vigilante group that had shared their addresses with rapists. The message also claimed the group had hacked into Omar’s accounts and were planning to poison her family. In a third voicemail, an alleged member of a militant group said, ‘I can’t wait ‘til our group sees you one day and I can rip your f*cking rag off your head... I hope the Israelis kill every f*cking one of you.’
Setting the stage for these threats was the rhetoric of former President Donald Trump. He often targeted Omar and other 'Squad' members, including Palestinian American Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), by urging them to 'go back' to the countries 'from which they came.' Other Republican representatives, such as Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert, have labeled them the 'Jihad Squad,' while Marjorie Taylor Greene referred to them as the 'Hamas caucus.'
In a statement, Omar said, ‘It directly endangered my life and that of my family, as well as subjected my staff to traumatic verbal abuse simply for doing their jobs. More importantly, it threatens the millions of American Muslims. This toxic language and imagery has real-world consequences. House Republican leaders stay silent as their party unleashes these toxic attacks and refuse to hold extremists in their ranks accountable. Since assuming office, two men have pleaded guilty to threatening to kill me. This is very real. I fear for my children and have to speak to them about remaining vigilant because you just never know.’
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By SIDDARTH RAHALKAR-SASAJE