Rights advocates and multiple Democrats on Tuesday condemned anti-Muslim comments by Republican US Representative Randy Fine who said on Sunday that "the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one."

Fine, whose comments against Muslims have often sparked outrage, has dismissed the criticism and since doubled down on his remarks on social media. The Council on American-Islamic Relations designated the Republican US lawmaker from Florida as an anti-Muslim extremist last year.

"If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one," Fine said on X on Sunday in a post that had over 40 million views as of Tuesday afternoon.

Some high-profile Democrats including California Governor Gavin Newsom called for him to resign while House of Representatives Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called Fine an "Islamophobic, disgusting and unrepentant bigot." 

Jeffries also called for Republicans - who hold a majority in both chambers of Congress - to hold Fine accountable. "To ignore this is to accept and normalize it," Democratic U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said.

Source:Ndtv