By Ashlee Banks
Special to the AFRO
Black lawmakers issued a stinging rebuke this week of U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, (R-Tenn.-5), after the congressman asserted that Muslims “don’t belong” in American society and declared that “pluralism is a lie.”
The comments, posted on March 10, on X, have ignited a firestorm on Capitol Hill, drawing sharp condemnation from House Democratic leadership and members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), who characterized the remarks as an affront to American values and a dangerous escalation of Islamophobic rhetoric.
U.S. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.-37) told the AFRO, that Ogles is a “despicable man” who should not hold a congressional office, asserting that his viewpoints are fundamentally incompatible with American society.
“Every time he tweets, I feel the urge to sage the hallway our offices share,” the California lawmaker continued. “Shame on Speaker Johnson for repeatedly choosing to ignore and therefore enable this disgusting rhetoric within his caucus.”
The controversy centers on a fundamental disagreement over the identity of America. While Rep. Ogles framed the presence of Islam as incompatible with the nation’s heritage, his colleagues pointed to the constitutional mandate of religious freedom.
U.S. Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.-4) told the AFRO, that “people who say they’re patriots ought to know better.”
The Democratic lawmaker emphasized that the separation of church and state is central to the formation of the United States, expressing surprise that such a core tenet is so frequently forgotten by members of the opposing caucus.
“There’s no place for that kind of bigotry,” Rep. Ivey stated, adding that it is essential for targeted communities to know they have allies who will defend their constitutional rights.
For Black Americans, the comments made by Rep. Ogles, targets a community that is deeply integrated into the nation’s historical and cultural foundation. According to The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), historian records indicate that at least 20 percent of enslaved Africans brought to the Americas were practicing Muslims. This history underscores that Islam was present in the American colonies long before the nation’s formal founding. Following the Great Migration of the 20th century, the faith saw a significant resurgence within Black urban centers, evolving into a pillar of social and political identity for millions.
The assertion that Muslims are outsiders is further contradicted by current demographic data. According to the 2020 United States Religion Census and more recent projections, there are approximately 4.5 million Muslims in the United States, making Islam the country’s third-largest religion.
Data from the Pew Research Center’s Religious Landscape Study identifies American Muslims as the most racially diverse religious group in the nation. Unlike many other faith traditions in the U.S., no single ethnic group forms a majority within Islam. Black Americans represent approximately 20 percent of the total U.S. Muslim population, while other major groups include those of Asian, Arab, and White descent, alongside a growing Latino Muslim population.
While Republicans in House leadership have largely remained silent regarding Rep. Ogles’ social media post, the fallout has sparked a broader debate over religious freedom and the definition of American pluralism.
Advocacy groups like the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) have characterized the rhetoric as an attack on the First Amendment, which guarantees religious freedom to all citizens.
While speaking with the AFRO, Rep. Ivey raised concerns about how such bigotry spoken by Rep. Ogles and some of his other Republican colleagues might influence the legislative process.
“You know bigotry is infecting their thought process and…leads to problems with our laws and policies here in the United States,” said the Maryland lawmaker. “We have a Muslim community in Prince George’s County and they’re welcomed neighbors and friends and pillars of the community and we’re going to stand with them despite these kinds of attacks.”
As the House moves forward with its legislative agenda, members of the CBC have signaled they may seek a formal resolution of disapproval to address what they describe as a rejection of the foundational principles established in the U.S through the U.S. Constitution.