The leading Muslim civil rights organization in the United States, on Thursday, urged for increased security measures for U.S. Representatives Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar following threatening remarks made by Florida State Senator Randy Fine.<\/p>\n
Senator Fine, backed by President-elect Donald Trump for his U.S. House of Representatives bid, self-proclaimed as the “Hebrew Hammer” in a recent post on X and implied that Reps. Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Omar (D-Minn.) should vacate their positions for their safety. He concluded his post with the words “Bombs away.”<\/p>\n
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which has previously criticized Fine’s anti-Palestinian and anti-Muslim rhetoric, branded him as a “deranged anti-Muslim bigot.”<\/p>\n
“This apparent call for violence needs to be thoroughly investigated by both state and federal law enforcement, and strongly denounced by leaders from both parties,” stated Edward Ahmed Mitchell, CAIR’s national deputy executive director. “We particularly urge President-elect Donald Trump to publicly reject Mr. Fine’s comments, and we call for his expulsion from the Florida Republican Party.”<\/p>\n
Additionally, Mitchell requested that the U.S. Capitol Police enhance their protective measures for Representatives Omar and Tlaib, citing increasing threats from individuals sharing Fine’s anti-Muslim and extremist views.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, Fine faced contempt of court charges in Florida where he was seen making obscene gestures and uttering profanities during a court session. He is in the race for a special election scheduled for April 1, 2025, following Trump’s appointment of Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) as national security adviser.<\/p>\n
In 2021, CAIR’s Florida chapter lodged an ethics complaint against Fine after he made social media posts where he referred to Palestinians as “animals” and advocated for their elimination using the hashtag “#BlowThemUp.”<\/p>\n
Representatives Omar and Tlaib, with Tlaib being the only Palestinian-American in Congress, have been outspoken critics of the U.S. support for Israeli military actions in Gaza and have stood up for Palestinian rights.<\/p>\n