US congresswoman, Lauren Boebert, has suggested that Muslim politician Ilhan Omar is a terrorist for the second time in a resurfaced video.
In the video posted on Facebook on September 3 from a Conservative party dinner in New York, Boebert described Omar as a part of the “jihad squad” and made comments about her potentially carrying a suicide bomb.
Speaking about an alleged interaction the congresswomen had in a lift in the US Capitol, Boebert said: “I said, well, looky there, it’s the jihad squad... She doesn’t have a backpack, she wasn’t dropping it and running so we’re good”.
This is the second time we’ve seen Boebert make Islamophobic comments against Omar, with the other made at a campaign event over the Thanksgiving period.
In that video, Boebert addresses the alleged incident again, saying: “I look to my left and there she is, Ilhan Omar. And I said, well she doesn’t have a backpack. We should be fine.
“I looked over and I said, oh look, the jihad squad decided to show up for work today.”
In response, Omar said on Twitter “this whole story is made up” and spoke out against Boebert’s “anti-Muslim bigotry”.
Fact, this buffoon looks down when she sees me at the Capitol, this whole story is made up. Sad she thinks bigotry gets her clout.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) November 26, 2021
Anti-Muslim bigotry isn’t funny & shouldn’t be normalized. Congress can’t be a place where hateful and dangerous Muslims tropes get no condemnation. https://t.co/S1APT7RbqW
On Wednesday, she also opened up about some of the shocking, Islamophobic and racist abuse she has received in recent days following Boebert’s comments.
In a press conference speech she shared on Twitter, Omar played an upsetting death threat she received via voicemail that was littered with racial slurs and abusive language. Warning: it is not very nice to listen to.
— Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) December 1, 2021
Boebert apologised for her remarks on Twitter, saying: “I apologise to anyone in the Muslim community I offended with my comment about Rep. Omar. I have reached out to her office to speak with her directly.”
I apologize to anyone in the Muslim community I offended with my comment about Rep. Omar. I have reached out to her office to speak with her directly. There are plenty of policy differences to focus on without this unnecessary distraction.
— Rep. Lauren Boebert (@RepBoebert) November 26, 2021
But, she then took to Twitter again to say Omar had hung up on her when the congresswomen spoke over the phone.
Omar responded to this, saying Boebert refused to publicly apologise for her remarks.
She said: “I believe in engaging with those we disagree with respectfully, but not when that disagreement is rooted in outright bigotry and hate.”
