Muslim Americans in Public Service (MAPS) strongly condemns the violent attack on Representative Ilhan Omar. Violence against elected officials is an assault on democracy itself, and it must be denounced without qualification.

Representative Omar is a duly elected member of Congress who has served her constituents and the country with dedication. An attack on her safety is a threat to the democratic principle that people of all backgrounds have the right to serve in public life without fear.

This attack did not occur in a vacuum. Islamophobia has played a clear and dangerous role in creating the conditions that put Muslim public servants at risk. For years, Representative Omar and other Muslim elected officials have been subjected to relentless harassment, racist and anti-Muslim rhetoric, and public dehumanization. When Islamophobia is normalized, it lowers the barrier to violence.

“Islamophobic rhetoric has consequences,” said MAPS Chair Ahmad Maaty. “When Muslim leaders are consistently portrayed as threats, outsiders, or less American, it fuels hatred and emboldens those who believe violence is justified. This is not just about one attack. It is about a climate that makes attacks like this more likely.”

Muslim American public servants face disproportionate threats simply for showing up and doing their jobs. That reality discourages civic participation and undermines the promise of a representative democracy. Confronting Islamophobia is not optional. It is essential to protecting the safety of public servants and the health of our democratic institutions.

MAPS calls on law enforcement to fully investigate this attack and hold those responsible accountable. We also call on political leaders, media voices, and institutions to reject Islamophobia and inflammatory rhetoric, and to speak clearly and consistently against hate and political violence.

MAPS stands in solidarity with Representative Omar, her family, her staff, and her constituents. We remain committed to supporting Muslim Americans in public service and to defending a democracy where no one has to fear for their life because of who they are.

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