Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles criticized for anti-Muslim comments

A Tennessee congressman is under fire for doubling down on social media posts that disparage Muslims. 

GOP Rep. Andy Ogles shared the first anti-Muslim post on Monday, then again on Tuesday after he was widely criticized. Here’s the latest: 

What did Rep. Andy Ogles say? 

What they're saying:

On Monday, Ogles posted on X: "Muslims don't belong in American society. Pluralism is a lie."

A little more than 24 hours after his first post, Ogles doubled down, despite bipartisan backlash. 

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"Paperwork doesn't magically make you American," he wrote on X, with a link to an update on the New York terror suspects. "Muslims are unable to assimilate; they all have to go back."

The backstory:

The comments came after two suspects, reportedly aligned with the Islamic State terrorist group, tried to set off bombs in New York City during a protest outside the mayor’s residence called "Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City, Stop New York City Public Muslim Prayer."

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The other side:

Ogles’ post sparked immediate backlash: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, called Ogles a "malignant clown."

"Disgusting Islamophobes like you do not belong in Congress or in civilized society," Jeffries wrote on X. 

Republican Richard Grenell, a staunch ally of President Trump and interim president of the Kennedy Center, joined Democrats in condemning the comments. 

"Stop attacking the First Amendment to the United States Constitution," Grenell wrote in response to Ogles’ post. 

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, also called Ogles’ remarks "disgusting."

"Racism like this doesn’t belong in American society," Schumer wrote. "This is disgusting and Republicans should denounce this."

Other anti-Muslim statements

Ogles isn’t the only member of Congress who’s openly expressed anti-Muslim sentiment. Last month, Rep. Randy Fine of Florida posted on social media: "If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one."

After the attempted terror attack in New York, Fine wrote, "We don’t need to live like this. Deport them ALL."

House Speaker defends anti-Muslim statements

Big picture view:

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, defended both GOP colleagues when asked about their statements. 

"I’ve spoken to those members, and all members as I always do, about our tone and our message and what we say," Johnson said. 

"There’s a lot of energy in the country and a lot of popular sentiment that the demand to impose Sharia law in America is a serious problem. That’s what animates this. The language that people use — it’s different language than I would use — but I think that’s a serious issue. Sharia law and the imposition of Sharia law is contrary to the U.S. Constitution.

"When you seek to come to a country and not assimilate but impose Sharia law, Sharia law is in conflict with the Constitution," he continued. "It’s not about people as Muslims; it’s about those who seek to impose a different belief system that is in direct conflict with the Constitution."

What is Sharia law? 

Dig deeper:

Sharia, in Arabic, means "the way," scholar Asma Afsaruddin told The Conversation in 2021. Sharia is a broader moral compass for Muslims, like how to pray and how to treat others, but it’s Sharia’s harsh interpretations in some Muslim countries that makes it more controversial. 

In Afghanistan, for example, women aren’t allowed to work or study because that’s how the Afghan government interprets Sharia. In Saudi Arabia, women are also closely monitored as an interpretation of Sharia. In other countries, homosexuality is severely punished. 

Scholars, however, say those interpretations are from Islamic extremists who favor a more fundamental legal system. They also say the word "Sharia" has long been used to demonize Muslims in the West. 

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