Group Flags Florida Rep. Randy Fine for ‘Islamophobic' Remarks
Fine, who represents part of Volusia County and all of Flagler County as part of District 6, has criticized the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which made the comments, in the past.
The nonprofit, which has its headquarters in Washington, D.C. and refers to itself as "the nation's largest Muslim civil rights advocacy organization," said Fine has used "unceasingly violent rhetoric directed at Muslims and Palestinians."
The group's announcement focused in part on Fine's recent comments to the News-Journal.
The News-Journal asked him about his comments about Gaza on Fox News, which some interpreted to mean that he supported using nuclear weapons there.
Fine said, "It shows the sophistication of the Muslim-terror media that they are able to convince people like you to interpret (it that way). ... Now I recognize that half of people in Gaza are married to their cousins, so you're going to find a lot of people with mental defects. But you've got to have a mental defect to interpret the comment that way."
CAIR called the comments about Gazans "racist and dehumanizing."
"For years, [Rep. Fine] has invoked Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian stereotypes and incited violence against Muslims and Palestinians at home and abroad with impunity," the organization said.
The group has also called for Congress to censure Fine and condemn his "dangerously anti-Muslim, anti-American, and anti-Palestinian rhetoric."
Fine posted on X on Wednesday: "Hamas front group CAIR, an unindicted co-conspirator in a federal terrorism trial, just honored me with a 'designation' as an anti-Muslim Terror 'Extremist.' I am profoundly honored to accept this award. Please send it to my Congressional office. We have a spot for it."
Fine described CAIR to the News-Journal as a "terrorist front."
He said its leader said that the attack on Israel on Oct. 7 made him "happy" and "brought him great joy when it happened. So being criticized by those terrorists is a badge of honor."
According to a New York Times report, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad did say at a gathering of American Muslims for Palestine that he was "happy to see" Palestinians break out of Gaza on Oct. 7, the day of the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel.
That prompted the White House to distance itself from the group and a spokesman for President Joe Biden to "condemn" the comments, according to the article.
Awad, in a statement, said that his comments were taken out of context by 'an anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian hate website' to distort his meaning. He also said in his speech at the gathering that he denounced hate against Jews and called antisemitism 'a real evil' that 'has to be rejected and combated by all people.'
In 2024, the Florida House adopted a resolution from Fine "to strongly encourage all executive agencies of the State of Florida, all law enforcement agencies, and all local governments in this state to suspend contact and outreach activities with the Council on American-Islamic Relations."
Among other things, the resolution says "the Federal Bureau of Investigation has suspended all formal contacts with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) due to evidence demonstrating a relationship between CAIR and Hamas."
The Anti-Defamation League has also criticized CAIR, saying key its leaders "often traffic in openly antisemitic and anti-Zionist rhetoric." It also has accused Awad of once being involved in a now-defunct organization that openly supported Hamas functioned as its "propaganda apparatus," citing the U.S. government.
CAIR said it is "not a front group for Hamas, a fund-raising arm for Hezbollah or part of a wider conspiracy overseen by the Muslim Brotherhood or any of the other false and misleading associations our detractors seek to smear us with."
It says its "mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims."
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Muslim group calls Randy Fine an 'anti-Muslim' extremist
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