Jawdropping Alteration Seen on Map in New Muslim Congresswoman's Office
Compared to Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Rep. Rashida Tlaib hasn’t received as much attention. Both became the first two Muslim congresswomen to take office on Thursday, but Rep. Omar has a much longer history of controversy, particularly given anti-Semitic tweets and support for the BDS movement.
However, on moving-in day, Rep. Tlaib — or someone in her office — certainly managed to do a bit of catch-up work.
In a picture posted by BuzzFeed News’ Hannah Allam, a world map in the Michigan Democrat’s office shows Israel covered over with a post-it note saying “Palestine” and an arrow pointing to the country.
“Someone has already made a slight alteration to the map that hangs in Rashida Tlaib’s new congressional office,” Allam, who covers Muslim life in America, said in her tweet.
Someone has already made a slight alteration to the map that hangs in Rashida Tlaib’s new congressional office. pic.twitter.com/mwyshIog4r
— Hannah Allam (@HannahAllam) January 3, 2019
It’s not clear who made the alteration or whether Tlaib was aware of it. As of Friday morning, despite the story being well over 12 hours old, she had not apologized, however, or elucidated on how the post-it note got on the map. Apparently, wiping a country off the map is perfectly fine so long as that country is Israel.
Of course, the placement may have led something to be desired, which led to mockery on social media.
It appears Rep. Rashida Tlaib believes the exterminationist “river to the sea” chant means the Nile River to the Mediterranean. So welcome to Palestine!https://t.co/2boHSJfcR6 pic.twitter.com/FC9XUpovgW
— Jordan Schachtel (@JordanSchachtel) January 3, 2019
Why does this person want to make Egypt Palestine? https://t.co/jhOYigdCJ3
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) January 3, 2019
Palistine is now in Egypt. I’m sure they will be very happy
— Kenneth (@Kennydenney) January 4, 2019
However, while the Palestinian-American congresswoman may have made more headlines for being sworn in wearing a traditional Palestinian gown known as a thobe — and while the “replacement” of Israel with “Palestine” may have been done rather shoddily — it still didn’t necessarily sit well with everyone.
“There is no country called Palestine,” Simon Wiesenthal Center Associate Dean Rabbi Abraham Cooper told the Jewish Journal.
“The territory upon which the word ‘Palestine’ is affixed on this map is called the Palestinian territories,” he continued.
“Palestinian statehood will be achieved, if and when, the Palestinian leaders are prepared to recognize the validity of the Jewish State as their neighbor.”
And then there were some of the other guests at the shindig.
The scene outside Rashida Tlaib’s new office as she awaits her swearing in this morning. Linda Sarsour is here, comedian Mo Amer, Arab American activists, 100 kids from Detroit arrived by bus. #congress pic.twitter.com/uXbCYJnYu0
— Hannah Allam (@HannahAllam) January 3, 2019
Linda Sarsour, regular readers will remember, is the BDS-supporting Women’s March co-founder currently under attack for accusations of anti-Semitism within the Women’s March ranks. This shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone, mind you, when you consider the fact that Sarsour accused Jewish liberals who attacked the aforementioned Rep. Omar, who has made anti-Semitic tweets and also is relatively enamored of BDS (provided the election’s over, of course), of having dual loyalties between the United States and Israel, a bigoted canard right up there with the old accusation that American Catholics had dual loyalties between the United States and the Vatican.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a controversial Muslim-American civil rights organization with links to extremist groups, was also at the event.
Nothing subtle here. Linda Sarsour, CAIR & a “slight alteration to the map.” Don’t have any illusions that the 2 new Muslim women in Congress represent all Muslims. They don’t. They represent the anti-feminist, anti-Israel Islamist values of CAIR & Linda Sarsour. Be #woke pic.twitter.com/EibavW0mzx
— Asra Q. Nomani, PI (@AsraNomani) January 3, 2019
No, Tlaib may not be as infamous as Omar yet, but give her some time; you can’t just hope to compete with someone who once tweeted “Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel” and has continually refused to apologize. Give her some time, though. After all, it didn’t take her very long to turn what should have been a historic day into an offensive one.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
