US House of Representatives Passes Resolution Rejecting Fanatical Expression
Washington, MINA – The United States (US) House of Representatives on Thursday, passed a Democratic Party resolution to condemn anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and other fanatical expressions.
The decision came after a statement by Ilhan Omar, a Muslim politician, which sparked controversy with comments suggesting Israeli supporters showed double loyalty.
“Today is historic in many fields,” Omar said in a statement after the vote, marking his first comment on the resolution.
“We are very proud to be part of a agency that has criticized all forms of bigotry including anti-Semitism, racism and white supremacy,” he said, quoted by ABC News, Saturday.
Through a voting mechanism, the resolution was supported by 407 against 203 while closing the tumultuous week in the Democratic Council caucus. A sharp split occurred. The initial plan for anti-Semitic-focused resolutions was expanded to include discussions against Islamophobia. Omar is a Muslim, and hatred towards many minority groups.
This resolution was born after Ilhan Omar said supporters of Israel encouraged lawmakers to pledge “loyalty to foreign countries.” This statement was suddenly seen by lawmakers from both sides as an anti-Semitic game called “dual loyalty”, a myth that people Jews are more loyal to Israel than their country of residence.
The House of Representatives’ majority leader, Steny Hoyer, said that Omar’s comments were very deep and truly disturbing the American Jewish community because of the simple assumption that American Jews who supported Israel were not loyal to the superpower.
“Allegations that Jews have two loyalties for supporting Israel and worrying about their safety are wrong and that are also painful,” said Hoyer, who also condemned the Islamophobic attack on Omar.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said before the vote that he believed Omar’s words were not based on his own anti-Semitic attitude, but the new lawmaker did not have full appreciation for how it was born.
The resolution also cited the death threats of members of the Jewish and Muslim Congress and noted that white supremacy in the US had exploited and continued to exploit fanaticism and arm hatred for political gain.
Meanwhile, the resolution consists of seven pages condemning anti-Semitism as an expression of hatred that contradicts the values and aspirations set by the people of the United States. Anti-Muslim discrimination and bigotry against minorities are also expressions of hatred of intolerance as opposed to values and the aspirations of the United States.
The discussion of this resolution was later updated by expanding the section on groups targeted by white supremacy by including Latinos, Asians, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Pacific Islands, Native Americans, immigrants and the LGBT community. (T/Sj/P2)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
