Summary Deedra Abboud came under attack after she posted the US Constitution. Photo: Facebook
(Web Desk) - An American Republican Senator from the state of Arizona defended his Muslim Democratic opponent after she received hateful messages on social media on her Muslim faith.
According to the BBC, Deedra Abboud who is running for the U.S. Senate from the state of Arizona came under attack after the candidate posted a campaign message on her Facebook with an image of US Constitution.
Abbound wrote in her campaign message on Facebook, “the Founding Fathers decreed that this nation would separate church and state, and in doing so protect both institutions. Government would be free from religious overreach, and religion would be free from government interference.”
The message provoked offensive messages, which targeted Abboud for being a Muslim.
After the countless hate messages, there were some people who came to her defence including the Republican Senator from Arizona, Jeff Flake, who took on Twitter to support the U.S. Senate candidate.
He tweeted, “Hang in there. Sorry you have to put up with this. Lots of wonderful people across AZ. You’ll find them.”
Hang in there @deedra2018. Sorry you have to put up with this. Lots of wonderful people across AZ. You ll find them. https://t.co/uVfLaAfVV2
— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) July 19, 2017
He further supported her by posting a link to an op-ed in the Arizona Republic, condemning the online attack on Abboud.
"Almost 250 years ago a group of dreamers came together and sketched out a revolutionary vision. No longer would they be shackled to the whims of a distant government, nor bound to the religion of an idiosyncratic king. They set out to forge their own futures, determine their own destinies, and follow their own faith," she wrote.
On her Facebook post, the users flooded the post with comments suggesting that there’s no room for Muslims in the government.
Some users wrote, on banning Islam in the US and insulting the Muslim candidate for not being an American.
Abboud responded back to Senator Flake’s tweet, by thanking him and rejecting the behavior that doesn’t reflect American values.
Thank you @JeffFlake for leadership in rejecting behavior that doesn t reflect our American values. AZ s amazing people deserve more of this https://t.co/t0FztPNKbj
— Deedra2018 (@deedra2018) July 19, 2017
Abboud , who is originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, is running for Jeff Flake’s seat in the August 2018 Democratic primary. If Abboud wins she would challenge Senator Flake in the general election.
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Republican Senator Jeff Flake has been a long time supporter of Muslim Community. Photo: Reuters
Senator Flake who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations and Judiciary committees has been supportive of the Muslim Community in Arizona, he wrote in a statement, "Enhancing long term national security requires that we have a clear-eyed view of radical Islamic terrorism without ascribing radical Islamic terrorist views to all Muslims."
