Senator John Kennedy Faces Backlash for Accusing Arab American Witness of Supporting Terrorism
Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) has faced widespread criticism and calls for censure after he accused Maya Berry, the executive director of the Arab American Institute, of supporting terrorism during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on hate crimes. The incident, which occurred on Tuesday, sparked outrage among civil rights groups, lawmakers, and the public alike.
During the hearing, which was titled “A Threat to Justice Everywhere: Stemming the Tide of Hate Crimes in America,” Berry was invited to testify on the rise of hate crimes against Arab Americans and other marginalized communities. However, Senator Kennedy’s line of questioning quickly veered off topic as he repeatedly pressed Berry on whether she supported terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah.
Despite Berry’s repeated denials and assertions that she did not support any terrorist groups, Senator Kennedy persisted in his accusations. “You support Hamas, do you not?” he asked Berry at one point. When Berry responded that she did not support Hamas, Kennedy continued, “You support Hezbollah, too, don’t you?”
As Berry once again denied supporting any terrorist organizations, Senator Kennedy became increasingly agitated. “You just can’t bring yourself to say no, can you?” he exclaimed. When Berry expressed disappointment that Senator Kennedy would make such accusations based solely on her Arab and Muslim identity, Kennedy responded, “You should hide your head in a bag.”
The exchange drew groans from other committee members and outrage from civil rights groups and the public. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Arab American Institute have both called for Senator Kennedy’s censure, accusing him of engaging in bigotry and Islamophobia.
“Politicians and the media have long and falsely pictured all Arabs and all Muslims as supporting terrorists,” said Robert McCaw, CAIR’s government affairs director. “Senator Kennedy’s behavior was a shameful example of this biased and unfounded stereotype.”
Maya Berry also spoke out against Senator Kennedy’s comments, saying that they were “regrettably a real disappointment but very much an indication of the danger to our democratic institutions that we’re in now.” She added that Senator Kennedy’s introduction of foreign policy issues into a hearing on hate crimes was not an effective way to keep communities safe.
Other lawmakers also condemned Senator Kennedy’s behavior. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), who chairs the Judiciary Committee, allowed Berry to respond to Senator Kennedy’s comments and expressed regret that such an incident would occur during a hearing on hate crimes.
“Public officials on both sides of the aisle have the responsibility not to fan the hatred,” Durbin said.
Several political commentators and journalists also criticized Senator Kennedy’s actions, accusing him of engaging in Trump-style demagoguery and playing to the far-right wing of the Republican Party.
“Kennedy’s grotesque bigotry undermines the very concept of democratic discourse, in which citizens’ interests are defined by their actions and their words, not their ethnic background or their gender or sexual orientation,” wrote Zeeshan Aleem in an opinion piece for MSNBC. “Whether sincere or not, Kennedy’s refusal to take Berry at her word is a refusal to accept her as a legitimate citizen.”
In the wake of the incident, Senator Kennedy has faced calls for an apology and for his removal from the Judiciary Committee. However, he has so far refused to apologize or back down from his comments.