Texas lawmaker asks Muslims to pledge loyalty to the U.S. in her office
Muslim visitors to Texas state Rep. Molly White's (R) office were greeted by an Israeli flag and a staff that was told to ask them to pledge allegiance to the United States.
Thursday was Texas Muslim Capitol Day, an event organized by the Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations that lets Muslims meet lawmakers and learn about the political process. White wasn't in the office, but wrote on her Facebook page that she "did leave an Israeli flag on the reception desk in my office with instructions to staff to ask representatives from the Muslim community to renounce Islamic terrorist groups and publicly announce allegiance to America and our laws. We will see how long they stay in my office."
That spirit spilled outside, where about two dozen protesters held signs that said "Go Home & Take Obama With You" and chanted "Islam is a lie" to the 100 Muslims, mostly children, at the event, the Texas Tribune reports. On her Facebook page, White says she continues to stand by her actions, and has ignored comments asking why she would request people swear allegiance to the U.S. when she has an Israeli flag on display and if she asks that white visitors denounce the KKK.
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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