Islamophobia is as pervasive in America today as it was in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Headlines from the past week have pretty much proved that it’s running rampant through the U.S. Capitol too. Now, Rep. Ilhan Omar, one of only three Muslim members of Congress, is calling for accountability as she faces her newest batch of death threats following a fellow Congresswoman showing her ass.
Last week, Rep. Lauren Boebert found herself in hot water after she was caught on video at a campaign event telling tall tales about an interaction with Omar in an elevator.
In the story, Boebert suggested that Omar was a suicide bomber. Omar called a press conference on Tuesday alongside Reps. Andre Carson and Rashida Tlaib, the other two Muslim Congress members, to demand that Republican leadership hold Boebert accountable.
Omar said that numerous incidents of incendiary Islamophobic comments repeated in Congress, and previously in the White House, are dangerous for Muslims around the country. She cited that more than “500 incidents of anti-Muslim hate” have been reported since the year began.
“I myself have reported hundreds of threats on my life, often triggered by Republican attacks on my faith. And this week once again saw another increase,” Omar said. Then she played the disturbing voicemail for the room.
From Insider:
“We see you Muslim sand (n-slur) bitch, we know what you’re up to. You’re all about taking over our country. Don’t worry, there’s plenty that will love the opportunity to take you off the face of this fucking earth. Come get it. But you fucking Muslim piece of shit. You jihadist. We know what you are. You’re a fucking traitor. You will not live much longer,” the man who sent the voicemail said.
A video surfaced last week of Boebert at a campaign event suggesting Omar was a suicide bomber while recounting an alleged run-in with Omar at the US Capitol.
Boebert claimed a Capitol Police officer ran towards the elevator she was on with “fret on his face” once Omar stepped on.
“Well, she doesn’t have a backpack. We should be fine,” Boebert said she told the officer.
She said she then turned to Omar and said: “Oh look, the Jihad Squad decided to show up for work today.”
Omar has said the story is made up and called Boebert a “buffoon.”
During the conference Omar said that she was often told to remove her hijab when she was running for Congress.
“I will close with this: It was never an option for me to take off my hijab to run. Because I know that when we proudly stand up for our values—when we celebrate the diversity of this country, and the freedoms enshrined in our Constitution, others stand with us.”
Boebert tried to apologize to Omar in a tweet on Friday and then over the phone, but she remarked that Omar had hung up on her. As she should. Omar’s team clarified, according to Insider, that the call ended because Boebert wouldn’t apologize “more forcefully” for what she had said.
Insider reports that a second video ironically surfaced of Boebert on Tuesday telling another version of the same made up story.
“This should not be a partisan issue. This is about our basic humanity, and fundamental rights of religious freedom enshrined in our Constitution. Yet while some members of the Republican Party have condemned this, to date, the Republican Party leadership has done nothing to hold their members accountable.” Omar said.
“It is time for the Republican Party to actually do something. To confront anti-Muslim hatred in its ranks and to hold those who perpetuate it accountable.”