Some Democrats say Boebert should face consequences over Islamophobic remarks

A group of Democratic lawmakers have called for the Republican congresswoman Lauren Boebert to face consequences for repeatedly insulting a Muslim representative by making Islamophobic remarks.

In an incident last week, Boebert called Congresswoman Ilhan Omar a member of the "Jihad Squad," claiming that a capitol police officer thought she was a terrorist in an encounter in an elevator on the Capitol Hill. Omar denied the story and said the far-right Colorado Congresswoman "looks down when she sees me at the Capitol."

“This whole story is made up,” Omar said. “Anti-Muslim bigotry isn't funny & shouldn't be normalized. Congress can't be a place where hateful and dangerous Muslims tropes get no condemnation.”

Some 38 members of the House Democrats called for the Congresswoman to be removed from her “committee assignments.”

“Today, we are calling for Rep. Boebert to be removed from her committee assignments. Our response to behavior that creates a dangerous work environment and furthers a climate of toxicity and intolerance cannot be silence,” they said. “Muslims across the country are looking to Congress at this moment, watching to see if those they sent to represent their interests in Washington are going to stand up in the face of blatant, vicious Islamophobia.”

Islamophobia in US Congress: Ilhan Omar called a

Islamophobia has reared its ugly head again in the US.

According to the statement, “Boebert has repeatedly weaponized dangerous, anti-Muslim bigotry at our colleague Representative Ilhan Omar.”

Five House Democratic caucus chairs wrote in a letter that Boebert needs to face "consequences" for her anti-Muslim rhetoric. “There must be consequences for vicious workplace harassment and abuse that creates an environment so unsafe for colleagues and staff that it invites death threats against them,” the Democratic chairs wrote in a letter. “There must be consequences when Members of Congress demonize an entire religion and promote hate from their positions of public trust.”

Boebert later said in a tweet, “I apologize to anyone in the Muslim community I offended with my comment about Rep. Omar.”

“I have reached out to her office to speak with her directly,” she said.

But Omar said her phone call with Boebert had been "unproductive" and that Boebert had "doubled down on her rhetoric."

House Republican leaders have repeatedly been called to denounce Islamophobic remarks by members of their party. They have not made any decision to strip Boebert of her committee assignments.

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