Muslim Group Criticizes ‘Islamophobic’ Questioning of Nominee

The Council on American-Islamic Relations criticized Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans for subjecting Adeel Mangi, who would be the first Muslim to serve on a federal appeals court, “to irrelevant, hostile questions about Israel and Palestine.”

“Singling out a Muslim judicial nominee and forcing him to answer ‘gotcha questions’ about the Middle East simply because of faith or because of his tangential connections to Muslims who comment on the Middle East is Islamophobic and un-American,” said CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell in a statement Friday.

At his Dec. 13 confirmation hearing, Mangi was asked by Ted Cruz (R-Texas), “Do ...