US: Firm cuts ties with ex-Obama adviser over Islamophobic remarks
American lobbying firm Gotham Government Relations has severed ties with a former official in the Barack Obama administration after he was caught making Islamophobic remarks. Stuart Seldowitz, who served as an advisor to the ex-US president, was caught harassing a New York City food vendor. Videos shared on X show Seldowitz calling Prophet Muhammad a "rapist" and making offensive remarks about the Quran. He also stated that the killing of 4,000 Palestinian children in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war "wasn't enough."
Why does this story matter?
The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas has resulted in a rise of both Islamophobia and anti-Semitism across the US. There have been several instances where US residents have been caught on camera harassing Arabs and Palestinians, accusing them of supporting the terror group Hamas. Seldowitz has become the most recent example, with the now-viral video portraying him as an Islamophobic blatantly accusing a street vendor of supporting Hamas. He has reportedly been harassing the street vendor for two weeks.
Seldowitz refers to Mukhabarat to threaten the vendor
In the video, Seldowitz mentions his "friends in immigration" and refers to Mukhabarat (the Egyptian intelligence agency). He threatens the Halal cart vendor, saying, "The Mukhabarat in Egypt will get your parents. Does your father like his fingernails? They'll take them out one by one." The vendor repeatedly asks Seldowitz to leave, claiming he doesn't speak English. But Seldowitz criticizes him for not speaking English and accuses him of working in the US without a permit or visa.
Seldowitz's remarks on the Quran
At one point, Seldowitz asks the vendor, "Did you rape your daughter like Muhammad did?" "Muhammad, your prophet... He was a rapist," he says. Seldowitz then asks the vendor if he speaks Arabic, "the language of the Quran." "The holy Quran that some people use as a toilet. What do you think of that, people who used the Quran as a toilet? Does it bother you?" he asks.
Gotham Government Relations ends affiliation with Seldowitz
After the incident, Gotham Government Relations announced that they have severed ties with Seldowitz. The lobbying firm called him an individual "who hasn't contributed to their work in years." "The video of his actions is vile, racist, and beneath the dignity of the standards we practice at our firm," it said on X. Meanwhile, the New York Police Department told VICE News that they are aware of the incident and are currently monitoring the situation.
Video: Seldowitz harrases Halal meat vendor in NYC
Attack on 6-year-old triggers protests
In October, a six-year-old Palestinian-American boy was reportedly stabbed to death while his mother was left critically injured in Illinois. The boy was stabbed 26 times by their Islamophobic landlord and eventually succumbed to his injuries. His 32-year-old mother is, however, expected to recover. The incident triggered global protests and prompted President Joe Biden to denounce rising hate crimes against Muslims in the US.
