Bill Maher Urged to Stop Downplaying Anti-Muslim Hate in US

IQNA – As American Muslims report the highest number of bias incidents since the aftermath of 9/11, a leading Muslim advocacy group says one of the country's most-watched comedians is making the problem worse.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, on Monday condemned comedian Bill Maher for downplaying growing anti-Muslim hate and falsely claiming Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) never called for using nuclear weapons on Gaza and for the destruction of all Muslims.

On his Real Time with Bill Maher, he said: “Now there are absolutely horrible things said about Muslims too. That should also be, of course, roundly condemned. Like Republican Congressman Randy Fine saying, ‘If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one.’ That’s awful. But it’s not the same as they need to be nuked and let’s exterminate them.”

In fact, last year CAIR called on U.S. House leaders and members to demand Rep. Fine’s resignation after he posted a “deranged” call for the destruction of all “mainstream Muslims.”

Also last year, Rep. Fine suggested on national television that the United States should use nuclear weapons against Gaza, invoking the atomic bombings of Japan as a model for dealing with Palestinians.

In a statement, CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:

“Bill Maher’s attempt to minimize and dismiss growing anti-Muslim hate is both irresponsible and dangerous at a time when American Muslims are facing rising bigotry, harassment, and threats. Rep. Randy Fine did not merely make one offensive comment, he repeatedly used genocidal, dehumanizing rhetoric targeting Palestinians and Muslims. Public figures should be condemning such hate unequivocally, not sanitizing or excusing it.

“When influential media personalities downplay anti-Muslim rhetoric, they contribute to a climate in which Muslims and Palestinians are viewed as less deserving of dignity, safety, and basic human rights.”

In March, CAIR said that the Kennedy Center’s award of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor to Bill Maher “highlights the glaring double standards surrounding bigotry and violence that exist in our society.”

According to CAIR’s most recent civil rights report, complaints of anti-Muslim bias and discrimination have continued to rise nationwide, reflecting an ongoing pattern of Islamophobia impacting communities across the country. 

Source: Cair.com