US senator's mocking remark to Arab Institute leader: 'You should hide your head in a bag'

US Senator John Kennedy's remarks during a hearing in the US Senate, where rising hate crimes in the US were being discussed, have sparked controversy.

Republican Senator Kennedy accused Arab American Institute Director Berry, one of the participants in the hearing, of supporting Hamas and Hezbollah and of "supporting terrorism."

When Kennedy asked, "Do you support Hamas, or do you not?", Berry stated that she does not support Hamas. Responding "no" to the senator's question about whether she supports Hezbollah, Berry retorted, "Hamas is a terrorist organization that I do not support. Does your asking this question to the Director of the Arab American Institute shift our focus to the issue of hate crimes in our country?"

Responding to Kennedy, who reminded her that she supports the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the Arab American civil society leader emphasized that UNRWA performs a very important function in delivering aid to innocent civilians. Continuing his verbal "attacks" on Berry, Senator Kennedy concluded his remarks with the mocking statement, "You should hide your head in a bag."

Reacting to Kennedy's words, Berry emphasized that she was disappointed by what she heard, stating, "It is unfortunate that I am sitting here today and being subjected to exactly what we are supposed to be dealing with."

REACTION TO KENNEDY'S WORDS

Users who reacted strongly to the US senator's words on social media described Kennedy's remarks as "shameful." Issuing a statement on the matter, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) harshly criticized Kennedy, stating that the hate speech witnessed during a hearing on hate crimes was inexcusable.

The statement noted that the Senator clearly displayed his prejudices against Arabs and that this constituted "bigotry." Meanwhile, in a post on the X account of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is chaired by Democrats, the committee reacted to Kennedy, stating, "A Republican senator tells an Arab American civil rights leader, 'You should hide your head in a bag.' We will not share this horrific video, but we will post the witness's powerful response."

News Source: AA