Senator John Kennedy ‘Hide Your Head in a Bag’ Remark Sparks Backlash

Senator John Kennedy has sparked a backlash after he informed an Arab American activist to “disguise [her] head in a bag” throughout a listening to about hate crimes.

Maya Berry, the founding father of the Arab American Institute, appeared earlier than a Senate Judiciary listening to to debate hate crimes within the nation on Tuesday.

Advocacy teams say there was a surge in hate crimes focusing on Muslims, Palestinians and Jews since Hamas’ assault on Israel on October 7, which triggered Israel’s ongoing battle in Gaza that has killed greater than 40,000 Palestinians.

Throughout his questioning, Kennedy repeatedly urged that Berry supported Hamas, the group that has dominated the Gaza Strip since 2007, regardless of her repeated denials. Berry referred to as his line of questioning “terribly disappointing.”

On social media, civil rights teams and others condemned Kennedy’s remedy of Berry and a few referred to as for him to face censure.

Newsweek has contacted Kennedy’s workplace for remark through e mail. Berry has been contacted for remark through an e mail to the Arab American Institute.

“You help Hamas, do you not?” Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, asked Berry.

“Senator, oddly sufficient, I will say thanks for that query, as a result of it demonstrates the aim of our listening to at present in a really efficient approach,” she replied, earlier than Kennedy minimize her off and requested to reply with a sure or no.

She stated: “Hamas is a international terrorist group that I don’t help, however you asking the chief director of the Arab American Institute that query very a lot places the give attention to the difficulty of hate in our nation.”

“I bought your reply and I recognize it[…]You help Hezbollah, too, do not you?” Kennedy then requested, referring to the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group.

“Once more, I discover this line of questioning terribly disappointing,” Berry stated, earlier than Kennedy minimize her off once more, noting that his time was restricted and urgent her for a sure or no.

“The reply is I do not help violence, whether or not it is Hezbollah or Hamas or every other entity that invokes it, so no, sir,” she stated.

Kennedy went on: “You simply cannot deliver your self to say no, are you able to? Do you help or oppose Iran and their hatred of Jews?”

Kennedy then talked over Berry as she tried to reply. She then stated: “As a Muslim lady, sir, I will let you know I don’t help Iran.”

Kennedy then famous Berry’s previous criticism of Congress for slicing funding to The United Nations Aid and Works Company (UNWRA), which supplies companies to Palestinian refugees amid allegations that a few of its employees had been concerned within the October 7 assault. Berry defended her help for the UNRWA’s aid work.

“Let me ask another time, you help Hamas, do not you? You help UNWRA and Hamas, do not you?” Kennedy requested.

Berry stated: “I feel it is exceptionally disappointing that you are looking at an Arab American witness earlier than you and saying, ‘You help Hamas.’ I don’t help Hamas.”

Kennedy interrupted her once more, and stated: “You realize what’s disappointing to me? You’ll be able to’t deliver your self to say you do not help UNWRA, you do not help Hamas, you do not help Hezbollah and you do not help Iran. You must disguise your head in a bag.”

Kennedy’s remark drew gasps from the viewers.

After the trade, Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin requested Berry if she had something to say.

“It is regrettable that I, as I sit right here, have skilled the very concern that we’re making an attempt to take care of at present,” she stated.

“The introduction of international coverage will not be how we hold Arab People or Jewish People or Muslim People or Black individuals or Asian People, anyone, secure. This has been regrettably an actual disappointment, however very a lot a sign of the hazard to our democratic establishments.”

Durbin, a Democrat, was amongst those that criticized Kennedy for his remarks on social media.

“Political leaders should not fire up hatred and division,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Jewish, Arab, Muslim, and Palestinian People *all* need to be secure.”

The Judiciary Committee endorsed Berry’s response by sharing it on X, writing: “A Senate Republican informed an Arab American civil rights chief that ‘you need to disguise your head in a bag.’ We won’t amplify that horrible clip. However we WILL amplify the witness’s highly effective response calling it out.”

Kennedy’s remarks had been closely criticized by rights and advocacy teams.

The Council on American-Relations (CAIR) issued a press release condemning the remedy of Berry by Kennedy and others.

“Maya Berry went earlier than the committee to debate hate crimes. Each Ms. Berry and the subject ought to have been handled with the respect and seriousness they deserve,” CAIR’s authorities affairs director Robert McCaw stated. “As an alternative, Senator Kennedy and others selected to be an instance of the bigotry Arabs, Palestinians and Muslims have confronted in latest months and years.”

Sheila Katz, the CEO of the Nationwide Council of Jewish Girls, referred to as the remedy of Berry “heartbreaking.”

The “solely Muslim witness confronted biased questions on supporting Hamas & Hezbollah regardless of her clear condemnations,” Katz wrote on X. “This listening to ought to fight hate, not perpetuate it. The Senate should do higher.”

Anthony Romero, the chief director of the American Civil Liberties Union, stated the group condemned the “discriminatory and vitriolic assault” on Berry.

“To make use of a listening to concerning the disturbing rise in anti-Muslim, anti-Arab and antisemitic hate crimes to launch private and discriminatory assaults on an skilled witness they’ve invited to testify is each outrageous and inappropriate,” he stated. “This sort of racist rhetoric ought to be extensively condemned. It has no place in Congress, or in politics.”

Some referred to as for Kennedy to face censure.

“Arab, Muslim, Jewish and civil rights teams throughout the board have condemned @SenJohnKennedy’s flagrantly racist and defamatory assault on a listening to witness yesterday,” Dylan Williams, vice chairman of presidency affairs on the Heart for Worldwide Coverage, wrote on X.

“If he doesn’t apologize at present, he ought to face speedy censure by his colleagues for his disgraceful habits.”

Medea Benjamin, an activist and co-founder of human rights group Code Pink, wrote that the listening to was “a shame. As an alternative of addressing anti-Muslim, anti-Arab, and anti-Palestine hate, senators like John Kennedy used it to spew hate. He bullied witness Maya Berry and informed her to place her head ‘in a bag.’ We demand accountability! The Senate should censure Senator Kennedy for this blatant show of Islamophobia!”

Journalist Mehdi Hasan urged there can be an even bigger outcry if a Democratic senator had made comparable remarks to a Jewish chief.

“Think about, simply think about, if a left-wing Dem senator had requested a Jewish chief testifying about antisemitism in the event that they supported genocide, & then informed them to place their head in a bag,” he wrote. “It will be an enormous scandal. However it was a Republican & the particular person was Muslim.”