Media have been fawning over Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad, an African-American Muslim woman, competing in Rio for the United States who wears a hijab under her fencing mask. One CNN panelist even suggested that Muhammad, and not Michael Phelps – the top athlete in Olympic history – should carry the American flag in the Opening Ceremonies.
Muhammad, along with her American teammates took the bronze medal in Women’s Team Sabre on Saturday, is the first American competitor to don the religious garb at the Games.
But while many athletes competing at the games stick to platitudes about their home country and thank-yous for their fans, Muhammad used the Olympics as a platform for criticism of her home country telling foreign press that she “felt unsafe” “all the time” while training at home in New York City.
And, while many athletes fill their social media profiles with training photos and selfies, Muhammad has used her unique platform to voice her vocal opposition to America’s relationship with Israel and the Jewish people.
Israelly Cool collected the worst of her Tweets.
#Israel, it's not defense if you are militarily occupying someone else's land #GazaUnderAttack
— Ibtihaj Muhammad (@IbtihajMuhammad) November 16, 2012
#Israel's New Racism: The Persecution of African Migrants in the Holy Land https://t.co/wfIIn81OqR
— Ibtihaj Muhammad (@IbtihajMuhammad) October 23, 2013
[VIDEO] Israel accused of war crimes by UK Parliament https://t.co/0iVIr4OQ90 #FreePalestine
— Ibtihaj Muhammad (@IbtihajMuhammad) July 22, 2014
AIPAC Is the Only Explanation for America's Morally Bankrupt Israel Policy https://t.co/5YA71YddDT #FreePalestine
— Ibtihaj Muhammad (@IbtihajMuhammad) July 24, 2014
Hundreds of Palestinians flee floods in Gaza as Israel opens dams https://t.co/dDGvu6uCTm
— Ibtihaj Muhammad (@IbtihajMuhammad) February 24, 2015
#Israel, it's not defense if you are militarily occupying someone else's land #GazaUnderAttack
— Ibtihaj Muhammad (@IbtihajMuhammad) November 16, 2012
Her Tweets (and the open hatred for Israel) go on. Most of the controversial Tweets seem to come from July and August of 2014, before she was officially in contention for an Olympic slot.
Muhammad has earned a rebuke for her anti-American sentiments, at least, from major American Muslim figures, including Zudhi Jasser, founder of the Muslim Liberty Project.
“Unfortunately, here is a woman [Ibtihaj Muhammad], who is clearly at the top of her sport and rather than be just like every other Muslim American — there are Muslims in pro basketball and hockey and many other sports that people say, ‘Oh I didn’t know they were Muslim,'” Jasser told The Inquisitor.
“Because she wears the hijab, she ended up getting all this notoriety to the point that TIME Magazine was writing editorials that said, ‘No, not the most decorated medalist in American history, Michael Phelps, should be waving the flag; no, it should be her,’ which I find almost insulting.”
Jasser complained further that Muhammad waited to complain to foreign journalists, rather than criticize her country while on its soil.
Muhammad has not apologized for either her anti-American nor her anti-Israel statements, and she has not removed her Tweets.
