A rising refrain of Republicans in Congress have embraced rhetoric towards Muslims and sharia legislation. However not like in previous years, their remarks have confronted little public pushback from management.
AILSA CHANG, HOST:
In current days, a number of Republican lawmakers have drawn condemnation for utilizing anti-Muslim rhetoric. It isn’t the primary time that the get together has needed to confront hateful language from inside its personal ranks, however not like in previous political eras, these feedback have confronted little pushback from Republican leaders. NPR congressional correspondent Barbara Sprunt joins us now. Hello, Barbara.
BARBARA SPRUNT, BYLINE: Hello, Ailsa.
CHANG: OK, let’s begin with this tweet from Tennessee Congressman Andy Ogles. This was from earlier this week, proper? He posted, quote, “Muslims do not belong in American society.” Inform us extra about who Ogles is.
SPRUNT: He’s a second-term congressman in a comparatively protected pink district, which, by the way, is residence to tens of hundreds of Muslim constituents. However this is not the primary time that he is trafficked in one of these language. He gave a speech final yr the place he stated, quote, “America is and should all the time be a Christian nation.” America was not established as a Christian nation. I feel the Founding Fathers would have a couple of phrases to say about that. However what I used to be keen on, Ailsa, was how management would reply to this.
CHANG: Yeah, let’s discuss that. Let’s take a hearken to what Home Speaker Mike Johnson needed to say about this tweet from Ogles.
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MIKE JOHNSON: There’s a number of power within the nation and a number of well-liked sentiment that the demand to impose Sharia legislation on America is a significant issue. That is what animates this.
CHANG: How aligned do you assume the speaker is with different Republicans on the Hill about this?
SPRUNT: Nicely, he is echoing a a lot pattern amongst congressional Republicans. There’s been a number of posts about Sharia Legislation. There is a Sharia-free America caucus that now has 50 Republican members. Sharia refers to guidelines religious Muslims observe in life, like praying 5 instances a day, avoiding pork. It is a non secular framework, not a plan to interchange the Structure. And when you hearken to the remainder of what Johnson stated, he added that this is not about Muslims as folks. However critics say by framing this reply round Sharia legislation, it provides cowl for bigoted language.
CHANG: Nicely, are different Republicans chiming in with extra anti-Muslim language proper now?
SPRUNT: Sure, together with Florida Congressman Randy High quality, who tweeted yesterday, quote, “we’d like extra Islamophobia, not much less.” He and others have pointed to a string of current assaults in New York and Virginia, every involving suspects who, in response to authorities, have been both impressed by ISIS or had supported the group previously. Now, some of these assaults are horrifying, completely. And, like with different assaults, together with these dedicated by people who find themselves not Muslim, the actions of 1 particular person simply do not characterize a complete group.
CHANG: Completely. OK, effectively, Democrats have condemned this as anti-Muslim bigotry, however how a lot are congressional Republicans additionally calling this out?
SPRUNT: You already know, there have been a couple of Republicans who’ve carried out so. However for the sake of comparability, if we solid again to 2019, Steve King, a Republican congressman from Iowa, did an interview during which he questioned why the phrases white nationalist and white supremacist are thought of offensive. And Republican leaders not solely denounced his remarks, they kicked him off of his committees, which is, you realize, a tangible punishment on Capitol Hill. And it is simply placing to me, Ailsa, how completely different that feels from what we have seen this week.
CHANG: Yeah. I imply, Barbara, what do you assume all of this says concerning the political second that we’re in proper now?
SPRUNT: I feel it is a signal it is a completely different period, one which was ushered in by President Trump, you realize, other than his requires a ban on Muslims immigrating to the U.S. The Trump playbook isn’t apologize. Do not again down. And if we take into consideration this from a politician’s viewpoint, you realize, lawmakers say issues as a result of they both consider them or it is politically advantageous for them. And so the truth that so few are denouncing these feedback and extra individuals are utilizing rhetoric like this – it tells me that they assume that is useful for them politically.
CHANG: That’s NPR congressional correspondent Barbara Sprunt. Thanks, Barbara.
SPRUNT: Thanks, Ailsa.
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