To the Editor:

FAKE NEWS!  While I don’t make a habit of using Trump terms, it’s the best way to describe the false claim made in the letter published earlier this month in another local newpaper that two Muslim congresswomen, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tiaib, have co-sponsored legislation to establish Muslim holidays as new federal holidays.

According to FactCheck.org, on January 12, 2019, “a self-described ‘parody’ website (sorightithurts.com) published a made-up story about the two Muslim congresswomen introducing a bill recognizing Muslim holidays as federal holidays.” Sadly, the story went viral because so many people, including the author of the June 3 letter, did not check FactCheck or Snopes before sharing it.

Although there was no disclaimer with the January 12 story, Snopes indicates there is a general disclaimer on the “So Far Right It Hurts” website stating that the content is “paradoxical” and intended for “comic effect or ridicule.” The disclaimer further explains that the website articles range from “misleading to wildly imaginative” and are published under the assumption that the reader understands there is no claim of “accuracy or validity.” 

To be certain, I checked the official source for all Congressional legislation ­— www.house.gov — and there have been no bills introduced by Reps. Omar or Tiaib to create any Muslim holidays.

I’m assuming that the author of the letter (Ted Carr of Bethel) heard this made-up story about the two congresswomen from controversial Muslim critic Chris Gaubatz when he spoke to the Haywood GOP, so I hope Mr. Carr will do the responsible thing and notify Gaubatz (as well as those who attended his presentation) that he’s spreading fake news.

It’s very sad that the right-wing extremists launched immediate efforts to discredit the two congresswomen almost immediately after they took their oath of office in January 2019; even sadder, that this very dated made-up story about them is still being circulated.

Myrna Campbell

Maggie Valley