The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on House leadership and members of Congress to repudiate Rep. Chuck Fleischmann for anti-Palestinian comments he made to activists this week.
Video posted to Twitter shows a confrontation between Rep. Fleischmann and Code Pink activists. “You can tell the Palestinians, I will never support them,” Rep. Fleischmann said in the video. “Let me make it clear, Israel is our ally, will always be our ally, and they are not genocide, and I will support Israel forever.” He then said, “I will never support you, I will tell you to your face: Goodbye to Palestine.”
CAIR Deputy Director Says Tenn. Congressman Should Apologize for Saying, ‘Goodbye to Palestine’ (Video)
SEE: ‘I will tell you to your face: Goodbye to Palestine’ | Congressman from East TN says Israel not guilty of genocide in widely shared video
‘Goodbye to Palestine!’ Video shows Tennessee congressman in heated exchange with activist (fox17.com)
In a statement, CAIR Deputy Executive Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:
“Rep. Fleischmann is the third member of Congress in recent months who has made hateful remarks that seem to endorse the whole-scale destruction of Palestine and the Palestinian people. Before him, Rep. Mast said there are no innocent Palestinian civilians and compared them to Nazis and Rep. Ogles said we should ‘kill them all’ when asked about children in Gaza. When are lawmakers going to stop persecuting Muslim representatives for supporting human rights for Palestinians and censure voices calling for mass slaughter and ethnic cleansing instead?”
He noted that CAIR previously condemned similar anti-Palestinian remarks by Rep. Mast and Rep. Ogles.
SEE: CAIR-FL Renews Calls to Censure FL Rep. Mast Following Latest Anti-Palestinian Genocidal Rhetoric
Take Action: Call on U.S. House Leaders to Censure Rep. Ogles for ‘We Should Kill Them All’ Comment on Gaza Children
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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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; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com