Rashida Tlaib Condemns Racist Cartoon Amid Rising Tensions

Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian American U.S. lawmaker, condemned a National Review cartoon depicting her with an exploding pager as racist. The cartoon relates to recent attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon. Tlaib, joined by advocates and officials, criticized the portrayal, calling it harmful to Arab and Muslim communities.

Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian American U.S. lawmaker, on Friday condemned as racist a cartoon published in the conservative magazine National Review depicting her with an exploding pager. This imagery referred to an attack this week against members of Hezbollah in Lebanon.

"Our community is already in so much pain right now. This racism will incite more hate and violence against our Arab & Muslim communities, and it makes everyone less safe. It's disgraceful that the media continues to normalize this racism," Tlaib wrote on the social media platform X. Tlaib is the only Palestinian American in the U.S. Congress, representing a Michigan district in the House of Representatives. The Muslim American advocacy group Emgage Action, Democratic U.S. House members Cory Bush and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, local officials in Michigan, and human rights groups also joined the criticism.

National Review did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The cartoon, published on Thursday, illustrated a woman identified as Rep. Tlaib sitting next to an exploding pager, captioned "ODD. MY PAGER JUST EXPLODED." It was created by Henry Payne, a Detroit News auto critic, whose X account titled it "Tlaib Pager Hamas." The Detroit News stated it was not involved in the cartoon's creation or distribution and opted not to publish it. The context behind the cartoon involves recent incidents where pagers and radios used by Hezbollah members in Lebanon exploded, causing significant casualties. Security sources have pointed to Israel, although it has not claimed responsibility.

The situation is further complicated by Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in over 40,000 Palestinian deaths and a severe humanitarian crisis following a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Tlaib has been a vocal critic of Israel's actions and U.S. support for its ally. Human rights advocates note a growing dehumanization of Arabs, Muslims, and Jews amid the conflict.

(With inputs from agencies.)