New York Governor Kathy Hochul has lashed out at Republican Sen. Ted Cruz after he mocked her for wearing a headscarf at a Muslim police officer’s funeral.
Hochul, a Democrat, was paying her respects at the funeral of Didarul Islam, 36, a New York City police officer, who was one of four killed in a shooting last Monday in Midtown.
A picture of the governor sat beside New York City Mayor Eric Adams at the service was posted by an anonymous conservative account with the caption “Why in TF is the Governor of New York wearing a ****** hijab?!”
Cruz, who represents Texas, added “Um, wut?” in response on X.
Hochul hit back at the senator in a post explaining: “I wore a headscarf to honor a fallen Muslim NYPD officer at his funeral.
“Respecting a grieving family’s faith is “wut” leaders and anyone with basic decency would do.”
Cruz doubled down in a further post on Sunday. “I agree,” he posted. “You should wear a hijab every day because you are so damn decent. Never mind the rights of women in New York…not your concern.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned Cruz’s “despicable” remarks, and called on him to apologize.
“If Ted Cruz has any remaining sense of human decency, he will apologize to both the family of slain New York City Police Department Officer Didarul Islam and Governor Kathy Hochul for his despicable and disrespectful conduct,” the statement said.
“Senator Cruz should be ashamed of himself for daring to use a murdered Muslim NYPD officer’s funeral as an opportunity to amplify anti-Muslim hate.”
“The fact that Mr. Cruz has repeatedly shown respect for Jewish beliefs by wearing a yarmulke at Jewish sacred spaces makes his attack on Governor Hochul for similarly respecting a Muslim space all the more hateful and hypocritical,” the statement continued.
“The next time Mr. Cruz visits a Catholic church, he should look up, notice the statues depicting Mary mother of Jesus, may God’s peace be upon them, wearing a scarf, and then ask himself why he hates the sight of the hijab so much.”
Fact-checkers on X shared an image of Cruz wearing a yarmulke when he visited the Jewish Center of Brighton Beach in Brooklyn during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Others on X praised Hochul’s actions as respectful to the fallen officer, who has been posthumously promoted to detective.
Evaristus Odinikaeze wrote: “Gov. Hochul showed respect, empathy, and leadership. That’s what real public service looks like.
“Wearing a headscarf at a Muslim officer’s funeral isn’t ‘virtue signaling,’ it’s human decency.”
Islam’s funeral was held at his mosque in the Bronx and attended by thousands of police officers who came to pay their respects.
He came to New York City from Bangladesh when he was 20 years old, living in a small house along with his parents, his young sons, and his pregnant wife. He served in the NYPD for three and a half years, and joined the agency after a two-year tenure as a safety agent in city schools.
He was killed when gunman Shane Tamura entered a Park Avenue office building with an assault style-rifle and opened fire before taking his own life.
In a eulogy read on his wife’s behalf, Islam was described as someone who “lived to help others” and that “he gave his life protecting them.”
“Though my heart is broken, I find comfort knowing that his sacrifice might have saved others,” she added.
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