The GOP has declared war on American Muslims - updated 12/8/2015
Posted Dec 8, 2015

The GOP has declared war on American Muslims

by Sheila Musaji


If you type GOP or Republican into the search engine of The American Muslim site, you will come up with a lot of articles about the GOP and most involve Islamophobia.  In our TAM collection of anti-Muslim statements made by elected representatives and government officials, a great majority have been made by Republicans.  This lengthy collection of statements has just been updated on 1/29/2015.

Here are just a few of the incidents over the past few years:

There was State Senator Greg Ball (R-NY, chairman of the Veterans, Homeland Security & Military Affairs Committee) who held a hearing titled “Reviewing our Preparedness: An Examination of New York’s Public Protection Ten Years After September 11”, and invited known Islamophobes to testify.

There was the Southwest Broward Republican Organization in Florida that sent out an anti-mosque protest email.

There was the June GOP Presidential Candidates’ Debate in New Hampshire during which Herman Cain once again discussed a test that will show which American Muslims are loyal to the United States and the Constitution, and Newt Gingrich suggested that all Muslims should be suspect until they prove their loyalty and they deserve higher scrutiny, like Communists or Nazis. 

There was Rep. Sue Myrick’s hearing on the Muslim Brotherhood and her support for the hate group ACT for America.

There were the statements made by four conservative Republicans — Reps. John Shadegg (Ariz.), Paul Broun (Ga.), Trent Franks (Ariz.) and Sue Myrick (N.C.) in the halls of the lawmakers of this country about Muslim interns on Capitol Hill.

There was Rep. Adam Hasner (the head of Florida’s House Republicans) who co-sponsored a so-called “Free Speech Summit” in Delray Beach, Florida along with Pamela Geller of SIOA (designated a hate group by the SPLC).  One of the speakers at this event was Geert Wilders who said Islam should not be recognized as a legitimate faith and Muslims should not have religious freedom.  Hasner also sponsored a showing of the hate film “Obsession” for Florida State Legislators.

There was Rep. Virgil Goode’s hateful rhetoric about the the use of a Qur’an for the ceremonial swearing-in of Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress. 

There is a long list of GOP elected officials who have called on known Islamophobes to provide “expert” testimony on Islam and Muslims.  For example: — Rep. Carl Gatto (R-AK), Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX), Ralph Hall (R-TX) and State Rep. Jerry Madden (R-TX)  who called on Pamela Geller, and Rep. Steven King (R-Iowa) who defended Geller, — Rep. Michelle Bachmann who has sought advice from Frank Gaffney and Pamela Geller, — Rep. Allen West, (R-FL) who met with Brigitte Gabriel head of anti-Muslim group ACT! for America, — Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) who invited David Yerushalmi of SANE to testify at a hearing on Capitol Hill.?

Last nights GOP debate must be added as another reprehensible incident.  Rick Santorum is giving the green l