In the exchange between Sen. John Kennedy (Louisiana) and Arab American Institute Executive Director Maya Berry, the Republican badgered Berry, parroting much of the same racist bigotry that is causing the current rise in anti-Arab and Islamophobic violence.
After a short establishing question, Kennedy opened with, “you support Hamas, do you not?”
As the crowd bristled, Berry said, “Senator, oddly enough, I’m going to say thank you for that question, because it demonstrates the purpose of our hearing today in a very effective way.”
She continued, as Kennedy attempted to interrupt her — as he did many times during the several minute-long exchange, saying, “Hamas is a foreign terrorist organization that I do not support. But you asking the executive director of the Arab American Institute that question very much puts the focus on the issue of hate in our country.”
Kennedy went on, apparently completely ignoring her answer. “You support Hezbollah, too, don’t you?” he said.
“Again, I find this line of questioning extraordinarily disappointing,” Berry said. After Kennedy interrupted her again, she said, “the answer is, I don’t support violence, whether it’s Hezbollah, Hamas, or any other entity that invokes it. So, no, sir.”
“You can’t bring yourself to say no, can you?” Kennedy said, speaking over the part of her answer where she directly said “no.” He yelled over her and repeated the question again about Iran, and told her that his time was running up when she attempted to answer.
The interaction continued like this, with Kennedy using his time to grandstand and talk over Berry as she tried to state her beliefs. He concluded his time with a somewhat veiled threat.
“You should hide your head in a bag,” the senator said.
During her opening statement, Berry testified about the rise of violence against Arab Americans, Muslims and Jewish Americans amid Israel’s genocide, and how rhetoric like Kennedy’s often sparks a surge of hate crimes against such groups.
The exchange, ironically amid a hearing aimed at acknowledging and addressing rising hate, was a show of the exact kind of bigotry that is actively putting communities in danger, as Muslim and Arab American advocacy groups, experts and some Democratic lawmakers pointed out.
“What an outrageous display of abhorrent, unrepented, ignorant, racist white supremacy! Solidarity to Maya Berry. We will not stay silent in the face of this obscenity, which makes us all — western citizens and decent human beings from all paths of life — feel disgraced and dishonored,” said Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories.
The Institute for Middle East Understanding Policy Project pointed out that sitting in the front row of the hearing was the mother of the six-year-old Palestinian American, Wadee Alfayoumi, who was stabbed to death in a Chicago suburb by a conservative white man shortly after Israel started its genocidal assault in Gaza.
“Make no mistake: the same hate directed at [Berry] by GOP Senators at the hearing is putting lives in danger,” the group wrote. Muslim advocates have worked with senators to introduce a resolution honoring Alfayoumi and stating a zero-tolerance policy for anti-Muslim and anti-Arab racism in the U.S. The resolution has not seen any movement in Congress.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan), the only Palestinian American in Congress, called out her fellow members of Congress for brushing aside racism like Kennedy’s.
“The racist, Islamophobic tropes used by many Members of Congress are intended to suppress our voices and incite violence against us,” said Tlaib. “It’s disgusting how many of my colleagues are silent when hate is directed like this against Arabs and Muslims.”
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) called Kennedy’s statements “truly disgusting.” “What a despicable showcase of anti-Muslim hate on full display during a committee hearing meant to be on the rise in hate crimes. This xenophobe and racist bigot should have no place in the Senate,” she said.
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Sharon Zhang is a news writer at Truthout covering politics, climate and labor. Before coming to Truthout, Sharon had written stories for Pacific Standard, The New Republic, and more. She has a master’s degree in environmental studies. She can be found on Twitter: @zhang_sharon.
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