The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, and CAIR Action, its associated 501(c)(4) policy and advocacy arm, today sent a joint letter to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries calling on him to support the pursuit of a censure resolution against Rep. Randy Fine over his longstanding pattern of violent, hateful rhetoric against Muslim members of Congress and to take steps to address the broader climate of Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism that House leadership has failed to previously challenge.
CAIR is also encouraging all Americans to contact their members of Congress and call on them support a censure resolution against Rep. Fine.
ACTION ALERT: TELL YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS TO OPPOSE ANTI-MUSLIM BIGOTRY AND ANTI-PALESTINIAN RACISM
READ CAIR’S LETTER TO HOUSE MINORITY LEADER HAKEEM JEFFRIES
CAIR and CAIR Action’s joint letter welcomes yesterday’s joint statement from Leader Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar condemning Rep. Fine’s most recent slur targeting Rep. Ilhan Omar.
However, CAIR and CAIR Action’s letter also notes that Fine’s attacks were nothing new, that House leadership has failed to address prior incidents of anti-Muslim bigotry and anti-Palestinian racism by other members of Congress, and that the belated statement condemning Fine must be followed by meaningful steps to hold lawmakers, even from within the Democratic Party, accountable.
In their letter, CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert S. McCaw and CAIR Action Executive Director Basim Elkarra wrote in part:
“We appreciate the joint statement that you, Whip Katherine Clark, and Chair Pete Aguilar have issued condemning Rep. Fine’s latest anti-Muslim attack on Congresswoman Omar and calling on him to apologize.
“However, we must be honest: Rep. Fine will never apologize, this is far from the first time he and other members of Congress have engaged in such dangerous anti-Muslim rhetoric, and our community has been deeply concerned by the House leadership’s failure to consistently and strongly counter various other attacks, including similarly bigoted comments by Rep. Fine, Rep. Brian Mast and Rep. Josh Gottheimer.…
“The Democratic Party’s leadership in Congress must take firm and consistent action to defend the American Muslim and Palestinian communities, including members of Congress, now under coordinated attack.…
“This moment is a defining moral test for the Democratic Party in Congress. No Member should endure slander, incitement, or threats without a strong defense from their leadership. This moment will be remembered. American Muslims are watching. So are millions who believe that justice and safety must be defended for all, not only for some. The choice before your caucus is whether to meet this moment with courage or allow hate to go unchallenged.”
The letter calls on Democratic leaders to:
- Introduce and advocate for a formal censure resolution against Rep. Randy Fine in response to his various hateful attacks about Muslims and Palestinians, specifically including anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia levelled against Rep. Tlaib. Even if the pursuit of censure fails due to Republican control of the House, the introduction and advocacy for the resolution will send a message that House Democratic leadership takes bigotry seriously and that no member of Congress can smear and threaten Muslim and Palestinian members of Congress without facing consequences.
- Publicly affirm your support and solidarity with all Muslim members of Congress, and ensure that Capitol Police is providing sufficient security to them on Capitol Hill, while traveling and while in their home districts.
- Commit to institutional measures to combat Islamophobia in Congress, including through member education, ethics standards, and enforcement mechanisms when Democratic caucus members make hateful remarks, like Rep. Gottheimer’s reported comment.
The letter also highlights the broader context of rising anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian rhetoric, including Rep. Brian Mast’s floor speech comparing Palestinian civilians to Nazis and Rep. Brandon Gill’s racist attack on a New York State lawmaker of South Asian Muslim descent, and Rep. Josh Gottheimer’s reported anti-Muslim remarks during a closed-door Democratic caucus meeting. It warns that when such hate is not firmly condemned and countered—whether from Republicans or Democrats—it fosters a climate of violence that endangers communities nationwide.
CAIR and CAIR Action will continue working to educate members of Congress about the growing threat of Islamophobia, both inside and outside the halls of Congress, and to demand accountability for hate speech and incitement at the highest levels of government.
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Contact: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; Basim Elkarra, Executive Director, CAIR Action, belkarra@cairaction.org; CAIR Action Communications, media@cairaction.org