Congressman's Odious Islamophobia Gets a Pass From GOP

"Democrats are calling for the censure or even resignation of Randy Fine, a Florida congressman known for his inflammatory rhetoric, after he wrote particularly Islamophobic social media post last weekend. But other than one retiring Republican Congressman, the GOP has largely been silent on the matter. On Sunday, Fine wrote a post on X indicating that he preferred dogs to Muslims. "If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one," he said."

"Nerdeen Kiswani, a Palestinian-American activist and organizer. Kiswani, who is based in New York City, had weighed in on the lively and ongoing local debate about city dog owners who seemingly stopped picking up their pets' waste during the recent snowstorm, resulting in treacherous and gross conditions for residents. She took to social media with a tongue-in-cheek quip, writing, "Finally, NYC is coming to Islam. Dogs definitely have a place in society, just not as indoor pets. Like we've said all along, they are unclean.""

"Democrats in both chambers of Congress quickly condemned Fine for his offensive post. New York Representative Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez called Fine's comment "genuinely one of the most disgusting statements I have ever seen issued by an American official." "It should not stop shocking us that the Republican Party openly embraces this. Fine should be censured & stripped of committees. To ignore this is to accept and normalize it.," she said on social media."

Randy Fine, a Florida congressman, posted an Islamophobic message on X saying he preferred dogs to Muslims. The post referenced a tongue-in-cheek comment by Palestinian-American activist Nerdeen Kiswani about dogs and Islam during a New York City snowstorm. Democrats in both chambers condemned Fine and urged formal action, including censure, removal from committee assignments, and resignation. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Mark Pocan, and Jamie Raskin led demands for accountability. The Republican response has been limited, with only one retiring GOP congressman criticizing Fine. The episode raised concerns about inflammatory rhetoric, Islamophobia, and partisan responses to offensive statements by elected officials.

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