Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) was challenged on Thursday to elucidate why she posted a picture of the Statue of Liberty in a burqa following New York Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani’s obvious victory in New York Metropolis’s Democratic mayoral major.
The far-right lawmaker, who has a history of anti-Islam remarks, captioned the image: “This hits hard.”
The publish was extensively condemned as Islamophobic and interpreted as a dig at Mamdani, who will develop into New York Metropolis’s first Muslim mayor if elected in November. Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) blasted the publish as “very racist” and “so outside the mainstream.”
Mamdani has been the subject of multiple Islamophobic attacks from the best since his win.
On The Hill’s “Rising” present, co-host Niall Stanage introduced up the picture of the Statue of Liberty (which, satirically, was initially conceived of as being a Muslim lady in conventional Islamic costume) with Greene and requested: “What did you imply by that?”
Greene responded: “Properly, I’m an American lady and I’ve all of the freedoms on the planet to by no means must bow to a faith that might drive me to cowl my physique up and solely see my eyes and my fingertips and that may be a main risk for all American ladies, and I believe that’s one thing that hits laborious for all ladies.”
When Stanage requested whether or not the publish was a selected response to Mamdani’s win, Greene appeared to not hear the query and stated: “Oh, a Muslim takeover or presumably Shariah regulation. That may be a nice risk to each single American lady, and I believe that’s one thing all ladies ought to by no means need or permit to occur in America.”
Stanage pushed again, noting, “It’s as much as the voters of New York Metropolis to elect whoever they want to elect, whether or not that particular person is Muslim or Christian or Jewish or the rest. So what’s the proof…”
Greene interrupted: “Properly, after all voters have the best to elect that and I’ll preserve my proper to say that I believe Shariah regulation and ladies being pressured to put on burqas is the best risk to our freedoms as American ladies.”
When requested instantly whether or not she opposes Muslims holding elected workplace, Greene prevented answering and stated as an alternative: “I’m 100% against Shariah regulation in America. 100% unapologetically against Shariah regulation in America.”
