Nadine Osman
Actor Selma Blair is facing backlash online after an Islamophobic Instagram comment posted on February 2 went viral.
The remark was made in an Instagram video posted by Abraham Hamra, in which he criticises Democrat congresswoman Rashida Tlaib and Cori Bush for being the only two members of Congress to vote against a measure that would prohibit anyone involved in the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel from immigrating to the United States.
Hamra calls Tlaib a “liar,” “moron” and a “hateful anti-Semite” in the video and said, “The truth is, the Jews have been victimised by the Arabs, and not the other way around.”
A since-deleted comment on the video credited to Selma Blair said: “Thank you so much. Deport all these terrorist-supporting goons. Islam has destroyed Muslim countries and then they come here and destroyed minds. They know they are liars. Twisted justifications. May they meet their fate.”
Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American in Congress, said the bill was “redundant with already existing federal law.”
“It’s just another GOP messaging bill being used to incite anti-Arab, anti-Palestinian, and anti-Muslim hatred that makes communities like ours unsafe,” she said.
Following two weeks of backlash Blair issued an apology on February 13, in which she said she had “mistakenly and inadvertently conflated Muslims with Radical Islamists and fundamentalists.”
“I apologize to those I offended with my words. I apologize to my friends. And I apologize to anyone I hurt.”
She promptly removed the comment after realizing her mistake and emphasized the importance of combating hatred and misinformation.
“In this instance, I erred in my writing, and I fully acknowledge how I contributed to the understandable upset within the Muslim community,” she added. Recognizing the harm caused, Blair reiterated her commitment to tolerance and peace, affirming, “I am dedicated to tolerance and peace for all who seek it – not hate.”
(Credit: Gordon Correll/Flickr)
