Selma Blair is under fire for an anti-Islam comment she posted on Instagram last week.
The “Cruel Intentions” star is one of the latest American actors to weigh in on the Israel-Hamas conflict, claiming that Islam has “destroyed Muslim countries” and then destroys “minds” in the United States.
Blair made her remarks under an Instagram video that slammed U.S. Reps. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) for voting against a bill with the stated goal of preventing immigration into the United States by people “who participated in or otherwise facilitated” Hamas’ October attack on Israel.
Tlaib said the bill was “unnecessary” because it would be “redundant with already existing federal law.” She also characterized it, along with three other bills related to immigration, as “inciting racism that puts our immigrant neighbors at risk.”
Blair did not agree, as indicated by her viral and since-deleted comment.
“Thank you very much,” the actor wrote in response to the video slamming Tlaib. “Deport all these terrorist supporting goons. Islam has destroyed Muslim countries and then they come here and destroy minds. They know they are liars. Twisted justifications. May they meet their fate.”
Fellow actor Michael Rapaport, who recently visited Israel to support the country’s army, replied, “Love it.”
Debra Messing was even more effusive and wrote, “THANK YOU.”
Blair did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
Since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack killed around 1,200 people, Israel has killed more than 28,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Hospitals, schools and refugee camps have been bombed, amid a lack of potable water and anesthesia.
Charles Sykes/Invision/Associated Press
Social media users couldn’t help but notice that Islamophobic stances from entertainers aren’t being met with the same industry backlash as comments from actors in support of Palestinian civilians. In November, Melissa Barrerra was fired from the “Scream” franchise after calling for a ceasefire.
Barrera’s talent agency also reportedly almost fired her for sharing a link to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency — a humanitarian organization tirelessly providing wounded, displaced and traumatized Palestinians with food, water and shelter.
The Council on American–Islamic Relations, America’s largest Muslim civil rights organization, weighed in on Saturday.
“Based on the hateful and ignorant remarks that Ms. Blair made, we doubt that she has ever engaged in any meaningful interactions with her Muslim colleagues in Hollywood or other members of the American Muslim community,” wrote CAIR’s Edward Ahmed Mitchell.
While numerous Israeli and U.S. politicians have conflated all Gaza civilians with Hamas members, the tenor around Israel’s U.S.-backed bombing campaign has slowly begun to shift. This week, President Joe Biden called the military operation “over the top.”
The White House has also released a new policy it claimed would ensure foreign countries don’t use U.S. military aid to violate international law protecting civilians.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently considering a “massive” attack on Rafah. The southern city in the Gaza Strip now contains 1.5 million displaced Palestinians are sheltering.