Pelosi slammed by The Squad after condemning Ilhan Omar for comparing America to terror groups
NANCY Pelosi has been slammed by a member of "The Squad" after she condemned Ilhan Omar for comparing America to the Taliban and Hamas terror groups.
Rep Rashida Tlaib on Thursday tweeted her support of the Minnesota congresswoman shortly after the House Speaker said Omar's comments "foment prejudice."
Following Pelosi's comments Thursday Rep. Tlaib tweeted: "Freedom of speech doesn't exist for Muslim women in Congress. The benefit of the doubt doesn't exist for Muslim women in Congress.
"House Democratic leadership should be ashamed of its relentless, exclusive tone policing of Congresswomen of color."
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, another member of the progressive "Squad," had earlier said: "Pretty sick & tired of the constant vilification, intentional mischaracterization, and public targeting of @IlhanMN coming from our caucus.
"They have no concept for the danger they put her in by skipping private conversations & leaping to fueling targeted news cycles around her."
Fellow Squad member Cori Bush also tweeted: "Stop attacking @IlhanMN. Stop attacking us.
"I'm not surprised when Republicans attack Black women for standing up for human rights. But when it’s Democrats, it’s especially hurtful.
"We’re your colleagues. Talk to us directly. Enough with the anti-Blackness and Islamophobia."
Earlier in the day, Omar issued a statement explaining her original comments as "not a moral comparison between Hamas and the Taliban and the U.S. and Israel," but rather, on ongoing International Criminal Court investigations.
"I was in no way equating terrorist organizations with democratic countries with well-established judicial systems," Omar, a Somali refugee, said.
Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal also lent the group's support to Omar in a statement on Thursday saying: "We urge our colleagues not to abet or amplify such divisive and bad-faith tactics.
"Members of the Democratic caucus owe it to each other to pause, reflect, and engage directly with each other when misunderstandings arise, and stand together against cynical attempts to divide our caucus."
Pelosi had signed off a statement which said: "Legitimate criticism of the policies of both the United States and Israel is protected by the values of free speech and democratic debate."
"And indeed, such criticism is essential to the strength and health of our democracies," the statement from the Democratic leadership team continued.
The statement, signed off on by Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Majority Whip James Clyburn, Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark, Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries, and Vice Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, sought to quell ongoing backlash following Omar's remarks.
"But drawing false equivalencies between democracies like the U.S. and Israel and groups that engage in terrorism like Hamas and the Taliban foments prejudice and undermines progress toward a future of peace and security for all," the added.
Pelosi explained that she and the Democratic leadership were satisfied with Omar's clarification, adding to the rare joint statement intended to stomp down on ongoing backlash for the Minnesota representative.
"We welcome the clarification by Congresswoman Omar that there is no moral equivalency between the U.S. and Israel and Hamas and the Taliban," Pelosi and team's statement read.
Before they issued their statement, Omar herself has accused her fellow Democratic colleagues of "constant harassment and silencing" following their issuing of a statement containing "Islamophobic tropes."
Omar – one of two Muslim women in the House – tweeted shortly after midnight on Thursday: "It’s shameful for colleagues who call me when they need my support to now put out a statement asking for ‘clarification’ and not just call.
"The Islamophobic tropes in this statement are offensive. The constant harassment & silencing from the signers of this letter is unbearable.”
She also shared audio of a threat she received calling Muslims terrorists.
Those comments came after 12 Jewish Democrats, including Brad Schneider, Brad Sherman, and Josh Gottheimer, on Wednesday called for her to "clarify" her tweet from Monday.
The group said in a statement: "Ignoring the differences between democracies governed by the rule of law and contemptible organizations that engage in terrorism at best discredits one’s intended argument and at worst reflects deep-seated prejudice."
They added: “The United States and Israel are imperfect and, like all democracies, at times deserving of critique, but false equivalencies give cover to terrorist groups.
"We urge Congresswoman Omar to clarify her words placing the US and Israel in the same category as Hamas and the Taliban."
A source close to Omar told she had tried to reach her Dem colleagues before they issued their statement, sparking her fierce rebuttal.
Republicans have taken the infighting as an opportunity to slam the Democrats.
GOP leader Kevin McCarthy of California said: "Speaker Pelosi’s continued failure to address the issues in her caucus sends a message to the world that Democrats are tolerant of anti-Semitism and sympathizing with terrorists.
"It’s time for the Speaker to act."
Rep. Lee Zeldin said: "Ilhan Omar must be removed from the House Foreign Affairs Committee. She should have never been appointed to this Committee in the first place."
The Minnesota Democrat had shared a video on Monday night in which she questioned Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and argued the US has also committed "unthinkable atrocities."
Posting the clip Omar tweeted: "We must have the same level of accountability and justice for all victims of crimes against humanity.
"We have seen unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan, and the Taliban. I asked @SecBlinken where people are supposed to go for justice."
Her questions to Blinken did not make the comparison she had suggested in her tweet.
Last month Omar slammed Israel’s airstrikes on the Gaza strip as “terrorism."
In March Omar sparked further fury after saying a mass shooter’s race only really becomes the main focus "when they are not white."
The congresswoman also faced a backlash after suggesting there were different narratives used with shooting suspects depending on "race or ethnicity."
And in February 2019, Omar triggered outrage when she wrote, "It’s all about the Benjamins baby," in response to a tweet referencing House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s pledge to take "action" against her over her criticism of Israel.
She said then: "Anti-Semitism is real and I am grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes."
Omar later suggested that American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, was paying politicians to take a favorable stance toward Israel.
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And she also received backlash after she said "some people did something" when speaking to the Council on American-Islamic Relations in March 2019 about terror attacks on 9/11.
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Omar is one of four in the progressive “Squad” of women of color that includes congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.
All four members of The Squad were re-elected in November, and Omar won her district by a margin of nearly 40 percent.