Los Angeles, CA – Selma Blair, an actor and disability rights activist, is facing backlash online for making an Islamophobic comment on an Instagram video that went viral last week. The video, posted by Abraham Hamra, called out U.S. Representatives Rashida Tlaib, D-Mi., and Cori Bush, D-Mo., for being the only two members of Congress to vote against a measure that would prevent anyone who partook in the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel from immigrating to the U.S.
Hamra, a speaker and Syrian Jewish refugee, criticized Tlaib in the video and made controversial remarks about the Arab-Jewish conflict. Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American in Congress, defended her opposition to the bill, calling it redundant with existing federal law and accused the GOP of inciting anti-Arab, anti-Palestinian, and anti-Muslim hatred.
Blair, who has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, thanked Hamra in a comment on the video and expressed her views about Islam. The comment, which has since been removed, sparked outrage and led to the deletion of Blair’s account on the social media platform. Celebrities like Michael Rapaport and Debra Messing also commented in support of Hamra’s video, but their comments have not been removed.
Blair, who is Jewish, has yet to respond to the backlash. She has been a vocal supporter of Israel since the Oct. 7 attack. The Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned Blair and called on her to apologize and engage in dialogue with the Muslim American community. However, Blair has not issued a response or apology for her comment.
Tlaib, on the other hand, was previously censured by the House in November for her comments and actions on the Israel-Hamas war. The incident has sparked a debate on social media about bigotry and prejudices, and it continues to draw attention from various circles.