Well, here we go again. Rashida Tlaib, ever the professional when it comes to twisting things into a victim narrative, is now playing the race card because of a cartoon that dared to point out her notorious support for groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.
The cartoon in question, drawn by Henry Payne and published in National Review, shows Tlaib sitting behind her desk as her pager explodes—a reference to an Israeli operation where they detonated pagers sold to Hezbollah. It’s smart, it’s biting, and it’s the kind of satire that political cartoons have been doing since forever. But, of course, Tlaib took it personally.
Cartoon: Tlaib Pager Hamashttps://t.co/wdwWCbCgmj pic.twitter.com/8AF3kA8Llk
— Henry Payne (@HenryEPayne) September 19, 2024
Tlaib wasted no time hopping on X (formerly Twitter) to cry “racism.” According to her, this cartoon is just the latest in a string of attacks that incite “hate and violence” against Arab and Muslim communities. Now, the question is, does this cartoon target all Arabs and Muslims? Absolutely not. This is a direct jab at Tlaib’s documented support for terrorist organizations that have no problem openly calling for the destruction of Israel and targeting innocent civilians.
“Our community is already in so much pain right now,” Tlaib posted on X. “This racism will incite more hate + violence against our Arab & Muslim communities, and it makes everyone less safe. It’s disgraceful that the media continues to normalize this racism.”
But here’s the thing. Instead of confronting her own extreme views, Tlaib would rather muddy the waters by implying that anyone criticizing her is racist. It’s a tactic we’ve seen time and again—if you’re backed into a corner, you cry oppression. Convenient, isn’t it?
Let’s not lose sight of the fact that the cartoon was addressing a specific and real incident. The Israeli operation referenced in the cartoon was a highly successful maneuver that took out a significant number of Hezbollah terrorists. You know, actual terrorists. The same type of people Tlaib has cozied up to, either through photo ops or her alarming public comments. We’re talking about a woman who was banned from entering Israel back in 2019 because of her affiliations with extremists. Not just a critic of Israeli policy—extremists.
Yet here we are. The outrage machine kicked into high gear, with far-left members of Congress crying “Islamophobia” over a cartoon lampooning a U.S. Representative, not for her race or religion, but for her association with violent groups. But wait! Not everyone’s buying into Tlaib’s act. Hussain Abdul-Hussain, a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, pointed out that the cartoon wasn’t racist at all. In fact, he rightfully called out Tlaib for suggesting that all Arabs and Muslims in America share her radical views. He made the point that Tlaib speaks for a specific, extremist segment—not for all Arabs or Muslims. Imagine that, a little nuance!
“This cartoon is against Tlaib for her support of Hezbollah and Hamas,” he said. “Tlaib represents some Arabs and Muslims in America and her own opinion, but NOT all Arabs and Muslims in America, many of whom vehemently oppose her views.”
“To lump all Arabs and Muslims in American into one person —Tlaib — is racism,” he added. “We, Arabs and Muslims, are — like all other races and religions — diverse and have clashing views, and no one person embodies or symbolizes all of us, unless you think we all look and think the same.”
Let’s discuss the @detroitnews cartoon and how everyone who attacked it was racist.
Had the woman behind the desk been depicted as a generic Arab or Muslim man or woman — for example with a hijab or a male headdress — and without her name in front of her, while showing a blown… pic.twitter.com/cBTZOG6Wzj
— Hussain Abdul-Hussain (@hahussain) September 21, 2024
So here’s the real irony: Tlaib’s the one engaging in racial generalization, not the cartoonist. By claiming this cartoon attacks all Arabs and Muslims, she’s the one lumping together a diverse group of people under her own warped political umbrella. That’s what Abdul-Hussain smartly called out, and it’s something that often gets lost in the noise of today’s outrage culture.
Now, let’s also not forget Tlaib’s other recent transgressions. She refused to condemn Hamas after their barbaric attacks in October, where they slaughtered 1,200 Israelis in cold blood. She stayed silent when asked to denounce the brutal rape of Israeli women by Hamas. She couldn’t bring herself to condemn the beheading of Israeli babies. But, sure, let’s focus on a cartoon.
What we’re seeing here is nothing new. Tlaib and her progressive allies are very good at deflecting. They don’t want to have a real conversation about her alignment with terrorist sympathizers or her blatant anti-Semitism, so instead, they scream “racism” every time someone dares to hold her accountable.
Here’s the truth: Political cartoons are supposed to make people uncomfortable. They’re supposed to exaggerate, poke fun, and make pointed commentary. Tlaib’s support for organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas isn’t some secret conspiracy theory—it’s well-documented, and it’s dangerous. The fact that she refuses to condemn some of the most heinous acts of terrorism only underscores that danger. So, yeah, the cartoon was harsh, but that’s what satire is for. It’s not racist to criticize a sitting member of Congress for supporting terrorism.
