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Ilhan Omar slams Joy Reid for ‘Islamophobic’ remarks on-air, Internet says she ‘doesn't deserve her position’

Joy Reid has come under fire for making controversial remarks about ‘the way Muslims act’ on ‘The ReidOut’

MSNBC national correspondent Joy Reid has come under fire for making controversial remarks about “the way Muslims act” during the Monday (August 31) episode of 'The ReidOut'. During her conversation with a few leaders regarding Donald Trump’s administration, Reid said, “When leaders, let’s say in the Muslim world, talk a lot of violent talk and encourage their supporters to be willing to commit violence, including on their own bodies, in order to win against whoever they decide is the enemy. We in the US media describe that as they are radicalizing those people—particularly they are radicalizing young people. That’s how we talk about the way Muslims act. When you see what Donald Trump is doing, is that any different from what we describe as radicalizing people?”
 
While her statement has irked a significant number of people on social media, US House candidate Ilhan Omar took to her Twitter handle to express her disappointment in Reid for her “causal Islmahobia” on national television. Sharing a clip from the interview, Omar tweeted, “Honestly, this kinda of casual Islamophobia is hurtful and dangerous. We deserve better and an apology for the painful moment for so many Muslims around our country should be forthcoming.”

The same clip was once again shared by Civil Rights lawyer Zahra Billoo, who also called out Reid for exhibiting "blatant Islamophobia". The tweet reads, “This isn’t even subtle. It’s blatant Islamophobia @JoyAnnReid.”

The civil rights organization called Muslim Advocates further slammed Reid in one of their articles for her comments that are “the latest in a longstanding pattern.” The same organization had previously expressed concerns about the anchor's old blog post, which alleged shared “similar, anti-Muslim sentiments” and stated that “current iterations of Islam are largely incompatible with Western notions of free speech and expression.”

Following Monday's episode of 'The ReidOut', Madihha Ahussain, Muslim Advocate's special counsel for anti-Muslim bigotry, issued a statement that read, “Joy Reid must apologize on air tonight for spreading the false, dangerous myth that Muslims are inherently radical and violent. MSNBC also needs to take action to ensure anti-Muslim bigotry has no place on its network. Muslims have been gunned down in their homes and houses of worship by people who believe in the very same hateful, false smears that Reid shared on her program. This is deadly serious and it’s part of a dangerous, longstanding pattern.”

Meanwhile, a significant number of Twitter users have expressed similar opinions about Reid's latest comments which have been labeled as “offensive.” One tweeted, “Most Muslims will find this offensive. We understand very well.” Another added, "What Joy Reid said is arguably offensive, but this vile anti-Semite needs to check her hypocrisy.”

Many Twitter users said that the anchor needs to be fired for her statements and remarks that aren't acceptable. “She doesn't deserve to be in the position she is in, sorry but I prefer members of the press to have higher integrity standards than she has exhibited in public. It saddens me that you are fine with it,” wrote one. 

Meanwhile, there also exists a petition demanding her to be fired for some of her controversial comments from the past. It as already received over 1,000 signatures with 1,500 set as the goal. The petition states, “It is well past time that MSNBC take this toxic person off the air. We want to make it clear that by MSNBC continuing to keep Joy Reid on the air, they are endorsing her comments.”