Schakowsky Blasts Kirk’s Remarks on Arab Males

U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) said Saturday she was “deeply offended” that her colleague Mark Kirk thinks it’s “OK” to discriminate against young Arab males, and she joined a diverse group of immigrants’ rights supporters in demanding an apology from the Republican congressman.

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When Kirk, of Highland Park, was asked about the difficulties of the visa process for immigrants at a nanotechnology conference at Northwestern University earlier this month, he said, “I’m OK with discrimination against young Arab males from terrorist-producing states. I’m OK with that.”

He continued: “I think that when we look at the threat that’s out there, young men between, say, the ages of 18 and 25 from a couple of countries, I believe a certain amount of intense scrutiny should be placed on them. I’m not threatened by people from China. I’m not even threatened by people from Mexico. I just know where the threat is from. It’s from a unique place, and I think it’s OK to recognize that.”

Schakowsky is the second Illinois politician to publicly criticize Kirk for his remarks. U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) also blasted Kirk recently, characterizing his statements as showing a “cavalier attitude towards civil liberties.”

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