US Muslim groups urge Congress to back resolution against Andy Ogles’ anti-Muslim remarks

American Muslim advocacy groups and a Democratic lawmaker urged Congress on Tuesday to support a resolution condemning an anti-Muslim statement by Republican congressman Andy Ogles.

Democratic Rep. Al Green said the response to the remarks reflected a broader rejection of hate.

“You have shown today by your presence that you will not tolerate hateful messages emanating from the halls of Congress. You will not tolerate Islamophobia in Congress,” he said at a Capitol Hill news conference.

“To allow any religion to be denied is going to subject other religions to similar circumstances at some point,” he said, invoking Martin Luther King Jr’s words that “injustice anywhere is truly a threat to justice everywhere.”

“This assault on Islam by a representative in the Congress really is an assault on all of us, either directly or indirectly,” he added.

Osama Jamal, secretary-general of the US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), emphasized inclusivity. “We are a nation of immigrants … each and every American, irrespective of their religious background, ethnic background, they are all welcome,” he said.

“Hate and discrimination against one another have no place in America,” added Jamal, voicing support for Green’s initiative.

Activist Medea Benjamin from CODE Pink said her group filed an ethics complaint after Ogles made the remarks. “This is outrageous … You know what doesn't belong in US society? Hate … bigotry, racism, any kind of division,” she said. “Pluralism is what makes us great.”

Green introduced the resolution earlier this month, which condemns Ogles’ March 9 post and highlights that the US was founded as a pluralist nation.

Ogles wrote on US social media company X that "Muslims don’t belong in American society, Pluralism is a lie," sparking widespread backlash, largely from Democrats and Muslim organizations.

The resolution cites the First Amendment’s protection of religious freedom, arguing that claims Muslims are incompatible with American society are inherently Islamophobic.

The push comes amid a rise in Islamophobic comments by US officials and lawmakers.

Separately, Republican Rep. Randy Fine drew condemnation in December after he said that “mainstream Muslims” should be “destroyed.”