GOP Congressman Says ‘Muslims Don’t Belong In American Society’ | EUROtoday

WASHINGTON — Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) mentioned Monday that Muslims shouldn’t be within the United States.

“Muslims don’t belong in American society,” Ogles wrote on social media. “Pluralism is a lie.”

The Republican member of Congress, a far-right conservative with a file of being overtly Islamophobicgave the impression to be reacting to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s condemnation of an anti-Islam rally organized exterior his residence on Saturday by pardoned Jan. 6 insurrectionist Jake Lang.

Violence broke out on the protest, and on Monday, two males have been in custody as regulation enforcement officers probed whether or not they introduced explosives to the occasion. The males are additionally being investigated for probably being impressed by an Islamic State extremist group.

Mamdani, who’s Muslim, condemned “white supremacist Jake Lang” for organizing a rally rooted in “bigotry and racism.” He additionally referred to as it “reprehensible” that folks introduced an explosive system, which didn’t go off on the occasion.

Ogles’ Monday publish got here minutes after he attacked Mamdani for condemning the Islamophobia on show on the rally exterior his residence.

“The @DOJ can deport him today. All they need to do is read his file,” the Tennessee Republican mentioned of Mamdani.

The mayor, who was born in Uganda, has been a U.S. citizen since 2018.

Ogles’ workplace didn’t reply to a request for remark.

Neither did Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), nor any of his high lieutenants: Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) and Republican Policy Committee Chair Kevin Hern (R-Okla.).

The workplaces of Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) additionally didn’t reply to requests for remark.

Ogles isn’t the one Republican in Congress snug with being overtly Islamophobic.

Last month, Rep. Randy Fine (Fla.) declared on social media: “If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one.”

Rep. Lauren Boebert (Colo.) has made quite a few baseless, bigoted remarks about Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) over time, evaluating her to a bomb-carrying terrorist and calling her a member of the “jihad squad.” Marjorie Taylor Greene, who just lately resigned from Congress, beforehand recommended Muslims don’t belong in authorities. In 2025, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (Ala.) referred to as for banning all immigrants who’re Muslim.

Edward Ahmed Mitchell, nationwide deputy director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, mentioned the First Amendment ensures non secular freedom to everybody ― together with American Muslims.

“If any member of Congress had declared that ‘Jews do not belong in America,’ that politician would rightfully face condemnation, censure and even possibly expulsion,” Mitchell mentioned in an announcement.

“Yet anti-Muslim extremists in Congress like Randy Fine and Andy Ogles have faced no consequences for their dangerous rhetoric, even as American Muslim members of Congress have faced censure motions, threats and harassment for daring to criticize Israel’s genocide in Gaza,” he mentioned. “The double standards and hypocrisy must end.”

CAIR now designates Ogles as an “anti-Muslim extremist” on its web site.

Igor Bobic contributed reporting.