by: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
Washington, D.C. - March 4, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today urged the FBI to take seriously an alleged public threat to assassinate Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN).
FBI officials say they are looking into the threat "Assassinate Ilhan Omar" scrawled on a bathroom stall in Minnesota and posted on social media. The FBI is in the "initial stages" of looking into the alleged threat but appears not to have opened a case file on the incident. CAIR will continue to monitor the case.
SEE: FBI Looking Into Graffiti Death Threat Against U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar
Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), the first two Muslim women elected to Congress, have faced constant rhetorical attacks since seeking public office.
SEE: Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib Show Muslim Women Don't Need Saving
"The unrelenting rhetorical attacks on Representative Omar have the potential to result in violence and threats of violence, as in this incident," said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. "We urge state and federal law enforcement authorities to take this apparent threat seriously, thereby sending the message that threats or violence targeting elected officials will not be tolerated."
He added that CAIR recently called on West Virginia Governor Jim Justice and the state and National Republican Party to repudiate an anti-Muslim display with an image of Omar in the rotunda of the West Virginia House of Delegates.
The display featured a meme with two photos, the top one showing planes crashing into the Twin Towers on September 11, with the text "'Never Forget' - You Said. . .", and the bottom one showing a photo of U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN), with the text "I Am the Proof – You Have Forgotten." While the discussion over the display was taking place, Sergeant at Arms Anne Lieberman allegedly called all Muslims "terrorists."
SEE: CAIR Calls on W. Va. Governor, State and National GOP to Repudiate Anti-Muslim Display in State Legislature
Awad noted that during that same week, two government officials across the country engaged in anti-Muslim bigotry.
An Idaho state legislator brought an anti-Islam pastor to the statehouse to give a presentation in which he portrayed all Muslims as radicals and a Pennsylvania school board president and Republican state representative apologized for a string of anti-Muslim Facebook posts.
CAIR-Pennsylvania Calls for Resignation of Local School Board Official Over Anti-Muslim Posts
Rep. Heather Scott Brings Anti-Islam Pastor to Statehouse
Just today, CAIR called on the GOP to drop notorious anti-Muslim conspiracy theorist Chris Gaubatz as a speaker at an event in Texas.
SEE: CAIR-DFW Calls on Texas GOP to Disinvite Anti-Muslim Conspiracy Theorist John Guandolo
CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
