Members of the United States (US) Congress have reportedly received death threats for showing support and solidarity with Palestinians. As is known, the war between Israel and Palestine is increasingly heating up.
Ilhan Omar, the first American Muslim woman to become a member of the US Congress, was one of those who received threats. He is worried about his family’s safety after receiving frequent threats for criticizing Israel’s actions against Palestinians.
Reported by The Guardian from NBC News, this Democratic congressman from Minnesota opened his statement about the increasing Islamophobic statements and threats he received, including threats aimed at his family.
Omar said that she and other Muslim Americans had been negatively impacted by “disingenuous slanderers” who cast them as threats for condemning Israel’s treatment of Palestinians amid fighting in Gaza.
Threats Received by Ilhan Omar
Ilhan Omar/Photo: instagram.com/ilhanmn/
Omar specifically called out rhetoric used by some right-wing lawmakers that likened her and other representatives to supporters of terrorists.
“This directly endangered my life and that of my family, and subjected my staff to traumatic verbal abuse simply for doing their jobs,” Omar said in her statement, referring to right-wing rhetoric.
“More importantly, it threatens millions of American Muslims,” he added.
In one of the voice messages Omar received, an anonymous caller said that an extremist group had been spying on Omar and his children. The caller also claimed that they had obtained all of Omar’s addresses and “handed them over to the rapists,” NBC News reported.
There were also other messages calling Omar a “Muslim terrorist”.
In a third voice message shared with NBC News, a caller claimed to be part of a “vigilante” group and threatened to rip off Omar’s hijab.
“I hope Israel kills you all,” said the caller.
Omar also said that since he served as a member of the US Congress, two men had threatened to kill him.
“This is very real. “I’m worried about my children and have to talk to them to stay alert because you never know,” he said.
Rashida Tlaib Criticized for Hanging Palestinian Flag Outside Office
Rashida Tlaib/Photo: Doc. Reuters
Apart from Ilhan Omar, another member of Congress named Rashida Tlaib also experienced threats. Tlaib is an American of Palestinian descent and is one of the Muslim representatives in the US Congress.
Tlaib has received backlash for calling for a ceasefire to the Israeli-Palestinian war. Not only that, he also received criticism for hanging a Palestinian flag outside his office
Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, called Tlaib a member of the “Hamas Caucus” and a “terrorist sympathizer” in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Not only that, Colorado Congresswoman Lauren Boebert also called Omar a member of a “jihadist squad”.
Boebert, a Republican, has made Islamophobic remarks about Omar before, including declaring her an explosives-carrying terrorist.
“I hope this culture of prejudice ends,” Omar said in his statement. “Hate speech from political leaders has no place in our government. I will continue to advocate for all Americans, encourage understanding despite differences, and encourage inclusivity.”
Entering its 17th day, Gaza’s Health Ministry said more than 5,000 people had been killed in the area since Israel launched airstrikes in response to Hamas attacks two weeks ago. Meanwhile, 14,254 people were reportedly injured.
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