US LAWMAKERS CALL ON CONGRESSMAN TO RESIGN OVER REMARKS ABOUT MUSLIMS

ISTANBUL, Feb 17 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- US lawmakers on Monday called on Congressman Randy Fine to resign over comments he made about Muslims, Anadolu Ajansi reported.

"If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one," the Florida Republican wrote on the social media platform X Sunday, responding to a statement by Palestinian-American activist Nerdeen Kiswani that dogs "definitely have a place in society, just not as indoor pets" because "they are unclean."

California Rep. Ro Khanna called Fine's remarks "disgusting bigotry", demanding he be censured as a matter of "morality and decency, not politics".

Arizona Rep. Yassamin Ansari said Fine "has repeatedly dehumanised Muslims without consequence", calling on House Speaker Mike Johnson to reprimand him while adding that if Fine cannot meet basic standards of human dignity, he should resign.

New Jersey Rep. Rob Menendez questioned whether Johnson, as a Christian, is obligated to speak out against hateful rhetoric or will "continue to remain silent".

California Rep. Eric Swalwell warned that every Republican failing to condemn the vitriol "only gives it more oxygen," while Texas Rep. Marc Veasey called Fine's behaviour "blatantly racist."

Maryland Rep. Johnny Olszewski and Ohio Rep. Shontel Brown both condemned the "blatant Islamophobia" as unacceptable, particularly from a member of Congress.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom demanded Fine to resign, calling him a "racist slob".

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organisation, described Fine as "a modern Klansman and Nazi all wrapped into one, only his targets are Muslims and Palestinians," citing his previous calls for the destruction of all “mainstream Muslims” and the genocide of everyone in Gaza, while urging congressional leaders to demand his resignation.

-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU