‘Freedom of speech doesn't exist for Muslim women in US Congress’: US lawmaker

US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib has slammed Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democratic leadership for their censure of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s remarks, saying freedom of speech “doesn't exist for Muslim women in (US) Congress”.

The Representative for Michigan's 13th congressional district, Tlaib fully backed her fellow Congresswoman from Minnesota, who has drawn flak over her comments comparing the US and Israeli regime “war crimes” to actions of the Taliban insurgent group in Afghanistan.

“Freedom of speech doesn't exist for Muslim women in Congress,” Tlaib tweeted Thursday, hours after Pelosi and around a dozen Democratic leaders issued a statement criticizing Omar.

“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,” Tlaib wrote.

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.

— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) June 10, 2021

The statement by Pelosi and other Democratic leaders on Thursday condemned Omar's comments. 

“[There is no moral equivalency between the US and Israel and Hamas and the Taliban,” the statement noted, saying it "foments prejudice and undermines progress toward a future of peace and security for all.”

Omar, a Somali-born former refugee and one of the first Muslims elected to US Congress, raised a storm earlier this week after posting a video related to her confrontation with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing.

“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,” she said in a tweet.

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. pic.twitter.com/tUtxW5cIow

— Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) June 7, 2021

Stung by the flood of criticism, the Minnesota Congresswoman later issued a clarification, saying the conversation was about “accountability for specific incidents regarding those ICC cases”, referring to International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigations into US and Israeli war crimes in Afghanistan and the occupied Palestinian territories.

After the group of Democrats released their letter Wednesday, Omar said it was "shameful" that the lawmakers had released a public statement instead of speaking to her directly.

“The islamophobic tropes in this statement are offensive. The constant harassment & silencing from the signers of this letter is unbearable,” she wrote.

Tlaib again jumped in her defense, saying Islamophobia is alive and more violent, but the outcry and work needed to combat it remains lackluster.

"Hate knows no boundaries. Whether it's Islamophobia, antisemitism, homophobia, racism, or sexism, you can't choose which hate to ignore when it serves your interests,” she tweeted on Thursday.

Islamophobia is alive + more violent, yet the outcry and work needed to combat it are lackluster. Hate knows no boundaries. Whether it's Islamophobia, antisemitism, homophobia, racism, or sexism, you can't choose which hate to ignore when it serves your interests. https://t.co/LF7Yq9Iiew

— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) June 10, 2021

ICC probes

The ICC last year ordered a probe into allegations of war crimes by US military and intelligence personnel in war-ravaged dating back to 2003.

The announcement met strong opposition from then-Trump administration, which slapped officials involved in the probe with economic sanctions. The Biden administration has also opposed the probe.

US ‘firmly opposes’ ICC probe of Israeli crimes against Palestinians

The administration of US President Joe Biden “firmly opposes” the International Criminal Court (ICC)’s decision to open an investigation into the war crimes perpetrated by Israeli forces in the occupied Palestinian territories.

In March this year, the ICC said it was also investigating war crimes committed by the Israeli regime against Palestinians, saying there was “reasonable basis” to believe crimes had been committed.

Israeli regime premier Benjamin Netanyahu, like Trump, resisted the move saying Israel would not cooperate with the probe.

The calls to probe Israeli regime’s horrendous war crimes have grown louder after the 11-day bombing campaign of the besieged Gaza Strip, which killed more than 300 Palestinians.

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