Trump also shared this photoshopped image of his political foes, Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi (Credit: Donald J. Trump/Twitter)
Elham Asaad Buaras
US President, Donald Trump, has been slammed for re-tweeting a fake Islamophobic image showing leading Democrats, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, wearing a turban and a hijab and standing in front of the Iranian flag.
Nihad Awad, National Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), said , “Today’s childish, undignified and offensive re-tweet of an Islamophobic photoshopped image of Speaker Pelosi and Senator Schumer further endangers American Muslims, Sikhs and members of other faiths who wear recognisable religious attire and are increasingly targeted by bigots nationwide.”
“President Trump has repeatedly targeted Islam and Muslims with bigoted rhetoric and Islamophobic appointments and policies such as the Muslim Ban, which media reports say is soon to be extended to other nations. Americans of all faiths and backgrounds must speak out against this promotion of religious hatred by the occupant of the Oval Office. Such bigotry is not normal and must never become acceptable,” added CAIR.
Trump re-tweeted the image on January 13, amid continuing controversy and international fallout over his approval of the drone strike assassination of Gen Qassem Suleimani, a top Iranian leader.
Madihha Ahussain, Special Counsel for Muslim Advocates, said, “The image is a hodgepodge of anti-Muslim tropes and garb from many traditions including some that are frequently used to stereotype and attack Muslims.”
“It’s disappointing but not surprising that the President would use his massive Twitter platform to spread this kind of harmful, ignorant, anti-Muslim bigotry.”
Schumer, asked in a tweet of his own: “President Trump: How low can you go? Republicans: How long can you cover up for and defend the president’s actions?”
It’s not the first time Trump re-tweeted Islamophobic content. On November 2017 he shared a series of Islamophobic tweets from far-right extremist group Britain First, sparking condemnation for spreading its “deplorable” ideology to a global audience.
Among the tweets was a video, originally shared by Britain First deputy leader Jayda Fransen, claiming to show ‘Muslim migrants beating up a Dutch boy on crutches’. However, local media in the Netherlands later confirmed the attacker was neither a Muslim nor a migrant.
