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US Lawmaker Rashida Tlaib Condemns Cartoon Showing Her with Exploding Pager

US Representative Rashida Tlaib, Democrat of Michigan, protests during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to a joint meeting of Congress at the US Capitol on July 24, 2024, in Washington, DC. (AFP)
US Representative Rashida Tlaib, Democrat of Michigan, protests during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to a joint meeting of Congress at the US Capitol on July 24, 2024, in Washington, DC. (AFP)
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US Lawmaker Rashida Tlaib Condemns Cartoon Showing Her with Exploding Pager

US Representative Rashida Tlaib, Democrat of Michigan, protests during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to a joint meeting of Congress at the US Capitol on July 24, 2024, in Washington, DC. (AFP)
US Representative Rashida Tlaib, Democrat of Michigan, protests during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to a joint meeting of Congress at the US Capitol on July 24, 2024, in Washington, DC. (AFP)

Palestinian American US lawmaker Rashida Tlaib on Friday condemned as racist a cartoon published in the conservative magazine National Review showing her with an exploding pager - a reference to an attack this week against members of the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah in Lebanon.

"Our community is already in so much pain right now. This racism will incite more hate + violence against our Arab & Muslim communities, and it makes everyone less safe. It's disgraceful that the media continues to normalize this racism," Tlaib wrote on the social media platform X.

Tlaib, a Democrat who represents a district from Michigan in the US House of Representatives, is the lone Palestinian American lawmaker in the US Congress.

The Muslim American advocacy group Emgage Action, Democratic US House members Cory Bush and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, some local officials in Michigan and human rights groups also criticized the cartoon.

National Review did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The cartoon, published on Thursday, showed a woman sitting next to an exploding pager. The woman's desk in the cartoon had a name card saying "Rep. Tlaib" while the woman herself is shown saying: "ODD. MY PAGER JUST EXPLODED."

The cartoon was created by Henry Payne, a Detroit News auto critic. Payne's X account titled the cartoon as "Tlaib Pager Hamas." The Detroit News said it was not involved in its creation and distribution, and chose not to run it.

Thousands of pagers used by members of Hezbollah in Lebanon exploded on Tuesday. That was followed a day later by the explosion of hand-held radios in Lebanon, with dozens killed and thousands wounded in the incidents.

Security sources have said Israel was responsible. Israel did not take responsibility.

Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in the Hamas-ruled enclave, and created a humanitarian crisis. Israel's assault followed an attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, that killed 1,200 people and in which about 250 were taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

Tlaib has been a fierce critic of Israel's actions in the war and American support for the longtime US ally.

Human rights advocates have cited rising dehumanization of Arabs, Muslims and Jews amid the war.

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UK Foreign Secretary Lammy Urges China against Supporting Russia's Military

Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy gestures while speaking about climate and environment policy at Kew Gardens in London, Britain September 17, 2024. Frank Augstein/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy gestures while speaking about climate and environment policy at Kew Gardens in London, Britain September 17, 2024. Frank Augstein/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
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UK Foreign Secretary Lammy Urges China against Supporting Russia's Military

Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy gestures while speaking about climate and environment policy at Kew Gardens in London, Britain September 17, 2024. Frank Augstein/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy gestures while speaking about climate and environment policy at Kew Gardens in London, Britain September 17, 2024. Frank Augstein/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

Britain's foreign secretary raised concerns about China's support of Russia in its war against Ukraine on Friday, urging his Chinese counterpart to prevent Chinese firms from supplying Russia's military in a meeting in Beijing.
David Lammy made the comments as he made his first visit by a Cabinet minister to China since the Labor government took control in July. He met Friday with Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang and held talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi later the same day.
The two-day trip is an attempt to reset ties with Beijing after relations turned frosty in recent years over spying allegations, China’s support for Russia in the Ukraine war and a crackdown on civil liberties in Hong Kong, a former British colony.
While Britain's government stressed that engagement with China was “pragmatic and necessary," officials said Lammy raised thorny issues including Russia and human rights concerns in Hong Kong and China's far-western Xinjiang province.
Lammy “stated how both the UK and China have a shared interest in European peace and ending the war. He reaffirmed that concerns over China’s supply of equipment to Russia’s military industrial complex risks damaging China’s relationships with Europe whilst helping to sustain Russia’s war,” the Foreign Office said in a statement after the meeting.
Lammy urged Wang to “take all measures to investigate and to prevent Chinese companies from supplying Russia’s military,” the statement said, adding the two sides agreed to continue discussions on this and other geopolitical issues such as the conflict in the Middle East.
The United States sanctioned two Chinese companies on Thursday for allegedly helping Russia build long-range attack drones used in the war in Ukraine. The Chinese Embassy in Washington said the allegations were false.
Lammy also raised “serious concerns” about the implementation of a sweeping national security law in Hong Kong, and called for the release of Hong Kong publisher and activist Jimmy Lai.
Lai, 76, has been in custody since December 2020 and will testify in November for his defense in a landmark national security trial. He has British citizenship and his legal team has been pressing British authorities to do more to help him.
Before traveling to China, Lammy said it was important to speak “candidly” about “both areas of contention as well as areas for cooperation in the UK’s national interest."
Human rights groups have demanded that Lammy press the Chinese government over its crackdowns on dissent in Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet.
Wang said that Taiwan and Hong Kong affairs were all “China's internal matters” and that “not interfering in internal matters was a basic premise of international relations,” according to a readout from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He said China and the United Kingdom should boost economic cooperation and find areas of consensus in global politics, despite areas of deep disagreement. The statement did not state particulars of China's response on the country's support of Russia in the war.
“China is willing to work with all countries including the UK ... to seek peace for the world and pursue development for mankind,” Wang said.
Lammy will also visit Shanghai, where he will meet with British business leaders, the Foreign Office said. China, including Hong Kong, is the UK’s fourth-largest trading partner.
The last British foreign secretary to visit China was James Cleverly in 2023, when he underlined the importance of maintaining regular dialogue with Beijing despite differences.