Last night, Muslim members of Congress in the United States hosted a historic iftar, just days after President Donald Trump held one without any Muslim-American organizations.
André Carson, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib put together an iftar in the Capitol Visitor Center to honor the Muslim-American community. It is considered to be Omar and Tlaib’s first time as honorary hosts at a Congressional iftar.
The three Muslim members of Congress invited about 100 guests, including clergy of other faiths and Muslim activists. A guest of honor was Khizr Khan, who gained notoriety in 2016 when then-candidate Donald Trump mocked him after he spoke at the Democratic National Convention about his son’s death in the U.S. military.
The feast was done in collaboration with Muslim Advocates, a national civil rights organization, and saw the attendance of Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland and Senator and Democrat of Illinois Richard J. Durbin, among others.The event aimed to give back to the Muslim-American community, who have long been targets of hate-driven crimes and proposed laws.
Tlaib and Omar have been repeatedly accused of anti-Semitism by critics. Schakowsky, who is Jewish and speaks about her personal connection to Israel, has helped mediate debate about the contentious subject, along with Rep. Andy Levin (D-Mich.) and the progressive Jewish organization Bend the Arc, Ocasio-Cortez said.
Pelosi reassured Omar that her headscarf would be “the one thing you will never have to worry about”, and followed up on her promise by supporting a rules change, enacted in January, that allowed head coverings on the House floor for the first time in 181 years.
