SerpApi.Org
Florida Rep. Randy Fine doubled down after calling New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani a "Muslim terrorist."
While speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill, Fine defended his description of Mamdani, who slammed Israel for committing what he calls the genocide of the Palestinian people. "It's the truth, we should always tell the truth," said Fine.
The reporter stated that Mamdani is an elected official, but Fine fired back, saying, "That doesn't mean he's not a terrorist." The congressman then asked the reporter if members of Hamas are terrorists.
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"Well, how can you compare that to the sitting mayor of New York?" reporter Jacob Wasserman asked. Fine responded, saying, "The fact that you're elected doesn't mean you're not a terrorist."
Fine accused Mamdani's speech about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of decrying the killing of Muslim terrorists. "He's the mayor of New York; he should leave foreign policy to those who are in charge of it," he said.
Wasserman pointed out that Mamdani called on the federal government to pursue an arrest warrant on Netanyahu issued by the International Criminal Court, but Fine said the government can't make the arrest.
"We are not a party to the ICC. It is a fake court," he said.
Mamdani backs off
The first Muslim mayor of New York City previously pledged to arrest Netanyahu if he visited the city, but he declared yesterday that he doesn't have the authority to do so.
In a video posted to social media on Tuesday, Mamdani said he and his team reviewed "every avenue available" under the law, and concluded that "we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this."
He added that Netanyahu was "not welcome" in the city, where he is expected to travel in September for the United Nations General Assembly. The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in 2024 over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
An arrest warrant was also issued for a Hamas commander. The ICC has the authority to prosecute those accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes on the territory of states party to the Rome Statute.
Fine's previous statements
Fine, an ally of President Donald Trump, previously made comments disparaging Islam in the past. Earlier this year, he suggested that he would choose dogs over Islam.
An X post by Nerdeen Kiswani, the co-founder of the pro-Palestini group Within Our Lifetime, read, "Finally, NYC is coming to Islam. Dogs definitely have a place in society, just not as indoor pets. Like we've said all along, they're unclean."
Kiswani was referring to a popular belief among Muslims that keeping dogs strictly as indoor pets isn't favorable, as traditional teachings suggest that the presence of an indoor dog deters angels from entering the home. Muslims typically keep dogs as working animals, such as guard dogs or sheep dogs.
In response, Fine wrote on X: "If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one."
In a follow-up post, he added: "We will not be shamed into being conquered like the Europeans. I choose my dog."
Kiswani later stated that her comments were made satirically.
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