indian congressman Shri Thanidhar Republican Congressman Andy Ogles criticized the Tennessee representative after he wrote on social media that “Muslims do not belong in American society.”The controversy began when Rep. Andy Ogles posted on X: “Muslims do not belong in American society. Diversity is a lie.”Sanidal, a Democratic congressman from Michigan, responded: “There’s a reason the Founding Fathers included religious freedom in the First Amendment. Muslims have been living in America since the 1600s. E Pluribus Unum is an ode to our diversity and has been our country’s traditional motto since 1782. Maybe your values don’t belong in American society.”Sanidar’s point is that the United States was founded on the idea of unity among peoples and religions, so rejecting Muslims contradicts the country’s longstanding principles of pluralism.British journalist Mehdi Hassan also criticized Ogles’ comments online. “Jews do not belong in American society,” Hassan wrote in a post on X.He added that such statements from members of Congress typically trigger a national outcry.Hassan said: “Imagine a sitting member of Congress tweeting something like that. You can’t. Thankfully, that will never happen. If it did, it would be the end of their careers and the biggest news in America. But Ogles can talk about Muslims without condemnation.”Ogles is a Republican politician known for his strong conservative stances, particularly on immigration and religious issues. He has introduced legislation aimed at restricting immigration from several countries with predominantly Muslim populations, arguing that large-scale Islamic immigration harms the United States.Ogles also supports stricter immigration policies in general. In the past, he has recommended deporting certain immigrants or naturalized citizens who he believes threaten American values.
