The day after a shooting at San Diego’s largest mosque, where gunmen killed three community members, U.S. Rep. Keith Self, R-McKinney, didn’t issue a statement on social media acknowledging the attack. Instead, he warned tens of thousands of followers about Muslim “jihadists” taking over the U.S.
Republicans have spent months running a campaign against “Sharia law,” using language that frames it as an anti-American legal system as opposed to a spiritual framework for Muslims. While some officials condemn Sharia, others, like U.S. Rep. Chip Roy — who is vying for attorney general — have said Islam in its entirety is a threat, incompatible with Western civilization.
Last month, a Washington-based think tank, the Center for the Study of Organized Hate, released a report tracing the origins of the recent wave of what it referred to as an anti-Muslim campaign. The researchers reviewed over a thousand social media posts from elected officials and said many “satisfy all five criteria for speech likely to inspire violence.”