Indian-origin Congressman Shri Tanedhar criticized Republican Rep. Andy Ogles after the Tennessee state representative wrote on social media that “Muslims do not belong in American society.”The dispute began when Rep. Andy Ogles wrote on X: “Muslims do not belong in American society. Diversity is a lie.”“The Founders put religious freedom in the First Amendment for a reason,” answered Thanedar, the Democratic congressman from Michigan. “Muslims have lived in America since the 1600s. E Pluribus Unum, an ode to our pluralism, has been our country’s traditional motto since 1782. Maybe it’s your values that don’t belong in American society.”
Thanedar meant that the United States was founded on the idea of unity among diverse people and religions, so rejecting Muslims contradicts the country’s long-standing principle of pluralism.British journalist Mehdi Hassan also criticized Ogles’ statements online. In a post on X, Hassan wrote: “Jews do not belong in American society.”He added that such a statement from a member of Congress would normally spark a national outcry.
“Imagine a member of Congress tweeting that. You can’t. Fortunately, it never happened. If it did, it would be the end of their careers and the biggest story in America. But Ogles can say that about Muslims without any criticism,” Hassan said.Ogles is a Republican politician known for his strongly conservative positions, especially on immigration and religion. He has proposed legislation aimed at restricting immigration from several countries with majority Muslim populations, and has said that large-scale Muslim immigration harms the United States.Ogles also supported stricter immigration policies in general. In the past, he has proposed deporting some immigrants or naturalized citizens who he believes threaten American values.