Democratic Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib sent a tweet thread Wednesday about her memories of the September 11th, 2001 attacks by talking about Islamophobic phone calls she received while working at an Arab-American group.
“I will #neverforget 9/11. I was working at a nonprofit Arab American human services organization, ACCESS, while in law school. My day started like any other—until I heard gasps from coworkers in the lunch room. I rushed in and saw faces of shock facing the television,” Rep. Tlaib tweeted.
ACCESS stands for Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services. Their website describes the group as “the largest Arab American community nonprofit in the United States.”
She continued, “Then we saw a plane hit the second tower and the room erupted in tears and heartbreak. Our country was being attacked. Soon, our phones began to ring with many threatening those at ACCESS and the local community with violence.”
Then we saw a plane hit the second tower and the room erupted in tears and heartbreak. Our country was being attacked. Soon, our phones began to ring with many threatening those at ACCESS and the local community with violence. (2/4)
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) September 11, 2019
“Still, our communities came together to mourn, to stand in solidarity with fellow Americans across the country, and to reject hate and the terror that comes from it,” Tlaib said.
Finally, she warned Americans not to let terrorism “divide us.”
“As we remember all of the lives lost in the horrific attack 18 years ago today, let us remember to not allow this type of violence to divide us, but to stand united. We are stronger together.”
As we remember all of the lives lost in the horrific attack 18 years ago today, let us remember to not allow this type of violence to divide us, but to stand united. We are stronger together. (4/4)
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) September 11, 2019
Tlaib, a freshman congresswoman, has been a topic of controversy since taking office early this year. She has accused President Trump of being a “white supremacist” who is afraid of “women of color.”
Earlier this year, Tlaib defended Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar after many accused her of being insensitive toward 9/11 when she referred to the terrorist attacks by saying, “some people did something.”
“They do this all the time to us, especially women of color. They do that. They take our words out of context because they’re afraid, because we speak truth. We speak truth to power,” Tlaib said in April. (RELATED: Ilhan Omar: I Can’t Talk About Islamophobia Without Talking About Anti-Semitism Too)