Mohamed Hadid, the father of models Gigi and Bella Hadid, has apologized to New York State Representative Ritchie Torres after he allegedly sent a racist and homophobic message in an Instagram direct message. . new york post.
“I need to apologize,” he wrote on Instagram on Saturday. “It’s not the anger I feel, it’s the words I used to express that anger. I meant it to express how Mr. Torres is being taken advantage of by Israel, which only mistreats black and brown people. Instead, states that use their projected gay rights as a shield for human rights abuses and pinkwash their atrocities, where I and my ancestors lived for 76 years as refugees from the country of their birth and genocide. My feelings are at an all-time high as I watch politicians in the United States serve as messengers of AIPAC’s genocide.
The post went on to say, “I used the wrong words to express my anger, but my anger was justified. We send Black, Brown, and other marginalized communities to do dirty work in a country that has never respected them. I apologize to the community for turning the conversation away from Palestine. All eyes are on Palestine.
early Saturday morning, new york post They obtained a screenshot sent to the congressman from Hadid’s verified Instagram account, in which she allegedly told the congressman that she was a “slave to the white man.”
“You guys are worse than the rats in the New York sewage system. They have bigger brains than you. Maybe you could get a job as a bouncer at a gay bar,” Hadid reportedly told Torres in the message. . Another message read: “Make sure you dress like the KKK to hide that ugly gray face,” the newspaper said.
In the only screenshot shared by new york postReferring to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Hadid wrote, “You are just an anomaly for Israel and AIPAC, black, with a colorful mouth, and asking for a salary of over 500,000.”
Torres made history in 2021 as the first openly gay Black and Hispanic member of Congress. He has been vocal in his support for Israel since the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas.
In a statement to new york post, “Dehumanizing me to be worse than a rat in the New York City sewage system or telling me to dress like the KKK to ‘cover my gray face’ doesn’t make Hadid’s He has hurled almost every kind of racist insult at me.” Calling me the N-word is short-sighted. ”
“That Mr. Hadid was so comfortable with demonizing and dehumanizing black elected officials reveals a tragic truth about our country’s politics. If you are a person of color and a parent… “In Israel, it’s only natural that people would spew racist insults,” he added.
Hadid, who is Palestinian, is not the only member of his family to speak out against Israel. Following his attack, Gigi Hadid shared a lengthy message in support of Palestine on his Instagram.
“My thoughts are with all those affected by this unjust tragedy, and with the innocent lives lost every day in this conflict, many of them children,” she said in part. wrote. “I have deep empathy and pain for the Palestinian struggle and life under occupation. It is a responsibility I take on every day.”
Updated April 20th at 3:55pm PT: Hadid’s apology.