Tlaib: Colleagues feeding ‘fear mongering’ in questioning of Muslim-American father of slain children

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) on Tuesday called out “some” of her colleagues over their questioning of a Muslim-American father whose children were killed.

{mosads}”What a horrible display from some of my colleagues. This is a father who testified about losing his daughters killed b/c of hate & what do they do? Feed into hateful, fear-mongering & racist tactics regarding Islam,” the Michigan lawmaker tweeted.

“Shame on them. This is not okay & beyond disrespectful.” 

What a horrible display from some of my colleagues. This is a father who testified about losing his daughters killed b/c of hate & what do they do? Feed into hateful, fear-mongering & racist tactics regarding Islam. Shame on them. This is not okay & beyond disrespectful. https://t.co/DLQHvEZ8UD

— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) April 9, 2019

Tlaib was referring to the questioning of Mohammad Abu-Salha during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on hate crimes and the rise of white nationalism.

Abu-Salha’s daughter, 21-year-old Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, her 23-year-old husband, Deah Shaddy Barakat, and his other daughter, 19-year-old Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, were killed on Feb. 10 2015, in Chapel Hill, N.C.

The FBI investigated the shooting as a hate crime. The suspect, Greg Hicks, was ultimately charged with three counts of first-degree murder. Hicks has not yet been tried.

During Tuesday’s hearing Reps. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) and Sheila Jackson (D-Texas) both asked whether Islam taught hate.

They did not seem to be insinuating that they believed those sentiments, but wanted Abu-Salha to have a chance to respond to comments from Zionist Organization of America President Mort Klein, who spoke during the hearing.

Klein said during the hearing that Muslim-driven anti-Semitism is a large problem.

A spokesperson for Tlaib told The Hill that the tweet was not directed at her Democratic colleagues, but at those responsible for the composition of the experts testifying.

“Congresswoman Tlaib’s tweet was meant for those who turned the hearing on Hate Crimes and White Nationalism into something it was not meant to be.” Adrienne Salazar said.

“She appreciates her colleagues who sought to stop the anti-Muslim rhetoric that was displayed in the hearing, but the fact that it was even needed is very disappointing, along with the fact that some of her colleagues would give their time to folks to present false generalizations about Muslims.”

“That’s the shameful display. This hearing was supposed to be about hate crimes and White Nationalism in this country, not a platform for an entire faith community to be attacked.”

Salazar further clarified that “Yes, [Tlaib] had issue with the invited guests of the Republicans” but was criticizing that questions and generalizations about Muslims came up during the hearing at all.