Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has received death threats in the wake of right-wing media lies. Last month, Fox News host Jeanine Pirro suggested that Omar's hijab may well mean that she opposed the U.S. Constitution. A few days later, New York resident Patrick Carlineo allegedly phoned Omar’s office and threatened to “put a bullet in her f------ skull.”
Carlineo has been arrested. According to the criminal complaint, he told the FBI that "he was a patriot, that he loves the President, and that he hates radical Muslims in our government."
Please click here to support Rep. Omar’s outspoken courage.Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has made
the connection between the outlandish media comments and the death threats, tweeting:
"Understand when Jeanine Pirro goes on Fox + rallies people to think hijabs are threatening, it leads to this. Folks who imply we’re ‘bad’ for politics, the party, the country, etc. have no idea the threats we deal w/ because of that kind of language. Talk policy, not personal.” The man who phoned Congresswoman Omar’s office sounded scarily similar to some right-wing TV and radio hosts.
Support Ilhan Omar as well as RootsAction’s work for open non-violent debate of the issues.It's worth recalling how all of this started. It did not involve opposition to the U.S. Constitution. It did not involve anti-Semitism. It started with Congresswoman Omar’s support for the human rights of Palestinians, and her criticizing the power of the Israel-right-or-wrong lobby. To understand the gist of the case against Omar, consider this statement that came from Rep. Juan Vargas, a Democrat: “Questioning support for the U.S.-Israel relationship is unacceptable.”
At RootsAction, we fundamentally disagree. Questioning support for the U.S.-Israel relationship is not only acceptable – from the standpoint of human rights, it is essential.
RootsAction has long opposed Israel’s policies toward Palestinian people, including the illegal occupation and ever-expanding settlements. We do not support the “U.S.-Israel relationship” that has provided
many billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars to arming the Israeli military –
routinely and often lethally violating human rights in the process.
Please click here to support Rep. Omar’s bravery.Already,
the USA’s leading Israel-right-or-wrong group, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC),
is gearing up to oust Ilhan Omar from Congress. The
New York Times reported last month on AIPAC’s hopes to “punish Ms. Omar, a freshman Democrat from Minnesota, with a primary challenge in 2020.”
AIPAC has a long history of defeating the few members of Congress willing to speak out against Israel’s occupation policies. As more of them speak out, AIPAC is even more
determined to silence Israel’s critics.
To support open debate about the “U.S.-Israel relationship,” please make a donation of whatever you can afford.The
New York Times recently quoted a former Democratic Congressman from Washington State, Brian Baird, who said:
“It is so disingenuous of some of these members of Congress who are lining up to condemn these questioning voices as if they have no campaign finance interest in the outcome.” Baird added: “If one dares to criticize Israel or dares to criticize AIPAC, one gets branded anti-Semitic, and that’s
a danger to a democratic republic.”
It’s crucial to
push back against that danger by stepping up support for real and open debate on these issues. You can
help Ilhan Omar and RootsAction to do that.
Thank you!
—Norman Solomon, Jeff Cohen, and the RootsAction Team
Background:
>>
Slate: Ocasio-Cortez Links Fox News' Jeanine Pirro to Death Threat Against Ilhan Omar>>
Daily Beast: Pro-Trump Man Charged With Threatening to Kill Rep. Ilhan Omar>>
New York Times: “Ilhan Omar’s Criticism Raises Question: Is AIPAC Too Powerful?”>>
M.J. Rosenberg, The Nation: “This Is How AIPAC Really Works”>>
Philip Weiss, Mondoweiss: “'I am told I am anti-American if I am not pro-Israel' and that’s problematic -- Ilhan Omar stands strong against blizzard of attacks”
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