Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar demanded Tuesday that MSNBC host Joy Reid apologize for “casual Islamophobia” when she compared radicalized Muslims to supporters of President Donald Trump.
“Honestly, this kinda causal Islamophobia is hurtful and dangerous. We deserve better and an apology for the painful moment for so many Muslims around our country should be forthcoming,” Omar tweeted.
Honestly, this kinda of casual Islamophobia is hurtful and dangerous.
We deserve better and an apology for the painful moment for so many Muslims around our country should be forthcoming. https://t.co/megnZyL9dd
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) September 1, 2020
Reid suggested Monday night on her MSNBC newscast that Trump was “radicalizing” his followers in the same way as Muslim extremists. (RELATED: Here Are 7 Times Joy Reid, MSBNC’s New Primetime Host, Spread Misinformation)
“When leaders — let’s say in the Muslim world — talk a lot of violent talk and encourage their supporters to be willing to commit violence, including on their own bodies in order to win against whoever they decide is the enemy, we in the U.S. media describe that as they are radicalizing these people, particularly when they’re radicalizing young people,” Reid said.
“That’s how we talk about the way Muslims act. When you see what Donald Trump is doing, is that any different from what we describe as radicalizing people?” Reid asked.
Reid has previously compared the president to Cuban dictator Fidel Castro and Roman Emperor Julius Caesar for delivering his presidential nomination acceptance speech from the lawn of the White House. (RELATED: Rep. Ilhan Omar Describes 9/11 Terror Attacks: ‘Some People Did Something’)
U.S. Rep. Ihan Omar (D-MN) speaks during a press conference on July 7, 2020 in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Omar is seeking her second term as a U.S. representative.
The congresswoman has been a polarizing figure since winning her election in November 2018. She has said the United States economic and political system should be dismantled, and has suggested it would be impossible to reform the Minneapolis police force because it is “rotten to the root.”