‘US Loves to Strike Muslim Countries’ — Lawmaker Accuses Trump of Religious Bias
A United States lawmaker has accused Washington of deliberately targeting Muslim-majority nations during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, raising concerns over what she described as religious bias in American foreign policy.
The allegation was made by Ilhan Omar, who said recent military threats against Iran followed a long-standing pattern of U.S. actions against Muslim countries at sensitive religious moments.
In a message shared on X on Friday, Omar claimed that past and present U.S. military decisions showed little regard for the spiritual significance of Ramadan to Muslims around the world.
“Iraq was attacked by the US during Ramadan and it is sickening to know that the US is again going to attack Iran during Ramadan,” she wrote.
“The US apparently loves to strike Muslim countries during Ramadan and I am convinced it isn’t what these countries have done to violate international law but about who they worship.”
Omar has frequently criticised U.S. military involvement in the Middle East, arguing that such actions often result in civilian casualties and violate international norms. She has also maintained that religious and cultural sensitivities are ignored when military decisions are made.
Her latest comments come amid renewed political tension with former U.S. President Donald Trump, with whom she has had several public confrontations over immigration, national security and Middle East policy.
In recent days, Trump and some of his allies attacked Omar’s foreign policy views, accusing her of siding with America’s opponents. The congresswoman rejected the claims and accused Trump of using inflammatory rhetoric against Muslim communities at home and abroad.
The dispute escalated after Trump suggested that Omar and another Muslim lawmaker, Rashida Tlaib, should be “institutionalized” and sent back to “where they came from,” following a heated exchange during his State of the Union address.
During that speech, both lawmakers openly challenged Trump as he defended strict immigration policies. Omar was heard calling the president a “liar,” while Tlaib accused him of policies that harm Americans.
Trump later posted on Truth Social, describing the lawmakers as “the bulging, bloodshot eyes of crazy people, LUNATICS, mentally deranged and sick who, frankly, look like they should be institutionalized,” and added that they should be sent back “as fast as possible,” despite both being U.S. citizens.
The remarks triggered strong reactions from Democratic leaders and civil rights groups.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries condemned the statements as “xenophobic” and “disgraceful.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations also criticised Trump’s comments, calling them racist and dangerous. Its National Deputy Director, Edward Ahmed Mitchell, said it was wrong to link Muslim lawmakers to foreign countries because of their ancestry or faith.
Omar has insisted that her criticism of U.S. foreign policy is rooted in concerns over human rights and international law, not loyalty to any foreign nation.
She added that political leaders should avoid language that deepens religious and ethnic divisions at a time of rising global tensions.
