‘Vile and Disgusting’: Condemnations Follow Anti-Islamic Statements by Republican Lawmakers
The condemnations followed social media posts by Republican Congressman Randy Fine of Florida and Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama after a mass shooting in Australia. Both lawmakers made sweeping claims about Muslims in the United States.
Fine wrote on X that he supported a ban on Muslim immigration. "It is time for a Muslim travel ban, radical deportations of all mainstream Muslim legal and illegal immigrants, and citizenship revocations wherever possible," he said.
Tuberville posted on X a day earlier, describing Islam as a “cult” and claiming Muslims are “here to conquer.” He added: “We’ve got to SEND THEM HOME NOW or we’ll become the United Caliphate of America.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a US-based Muslim civil rights organisation, responded by designating Tuberville an “anti-Muslim bigot,” marking the first time it has applied that label to a sitting US senator.
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Fine has continued to share posts linking Islam broadly to violence and describing the Palestinian solidarity movement as criminal.
He cited the Bondi Beach shooting in Australia while listing attacks allegedly committed by Muslims and said the movement to free Palestine is “nothing more than a Muslim terror movement,” adding that those involved should be prosecuted “to the fullest extent of the law.”
Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York condemned Fine’s remarks. She wrote on X: “Our Muslim neighbors are not Republicans’ scapegoats for antisemitic attacks and [Donald] Trump’s failed policies. We must absolutely condemn Islamophobia loudly and hold those perpetuating it accountable.”
Democrats also denounced Tuberville’s comments. Senator Patty Murray called them “vile and disgusting” and “a disgrace.”
Senator Chris Murphy described them as “vile and so un-American” and “bigoted zealotry.”
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said they were “an outrageous, disgusting display of islamophobia.”
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Tuberville previously celebrated when an Islamic school in Alabama decided not to relocate. Muslim leaders in the state have invited him to meet with them and visit a mosque, but he has not accepted.
CAIR said in a statement that instead of engaging, he has escalated rhetoric that puts Muslim communities at risk.
The controversy comes amid renewed political debate over immigration and religion in the United States. US President Donald Trump has recently targeted Somali Americans, who are predominantly Muslim, and previously imposed a travel ban on several Muslim-majority countries.
Civil rights groups say such rhetoric contributes to rising anti-Muslim hostility nationwide and are urging elected officials to publicly reject language that singles out an entire religious community.
Source: Agencies
