Rep. Rashida Tlaib said Thursday the New York Post is “evoking painful imagery to spread hate” following its cover using a photograph of the twin towers to criticize Rep. Ilhan Omar’s comment that referred to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack as “some people did something.”
Ms. Omar said during a speech to the Council on American-Islamic Relations Wednesday that the organization was founded to address Muslims being treated as “second-class” citizens post-9/11.
“CAIR was founded after 9/11, because they recognized that some people did something and that all of us were starting to lose access to our civil liberties,” she said.
Ms. Omar’s comments led to the New York Post’s cover Thursday, putting her words over an image of both of the twin towers on fire with the headline, “Here’s your something.”
Today’s cover of the New York Post. pic.twitter.com/pEnQryZNlx
— Dylan Stableford (@stableford) April 11, 2019
Ms. Tlaib, a fellow Muslim congresswoman with Ms. Omar, blasted the cover for taking her comments out of context and shamed the owner of the paper.
“The NY Post knows exactly what it’s doing - taking quotes out of context and evoking painful imagery to spread hate and endangering the life of Rep. Omar. Shame on them, and shame on Rupert Murdoch,” the Michigan Democrat tweeted.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Massachusetts Democrat, echoed Ms. Tlaib’s comments, tweeting that the cover reckless and said it endangered people’s lives.
“[Ms. Omar’s] full comments clearly speak to post 9/11 [Islamophobia] Manipulating her remarks is defaming & dangerous for her & her family. Stop with this recklessness. [Mr. Murdoch] this is on you - stoking hate, fear & division, putting REAL lives at risk. Shame on you,” Ms. Pressley said.
Ms. Omar slammed another one of Mr. Murdoch’s properties, Fox News, for questioning her loyalty to the country during an interview.
“When you have people on Fox News question whether I am actually American or I put ’America first,’ I expect my colleagues to also say, ’That’s not OK.’ They should condemn that and call that out,” the Minnesota Democrat said. “I took an oath to uphold the Constitution. I am as American as everyone else is.”
Earlier Wednesday, “Fox & Friends” host Brian Kilmeade questioned Ms. Omar’s American loyalties following her referencing 9/11 as “some people did something,” asking, “You have to wonder if she’s an American first.”
He later tweeted a clarification, saying he “didn’t intend” to question her citizenship.
• Bailey Vogt can be reached at bvogt@washingtontimes.com.
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