San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Popovich calls out Colorado rep for anti-Muslim slur
Citing U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert’s anti-Muslim slur against U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said it’s important for people to speak out against lies and conspiracy theories that perpetuate harmful beliefs.
“We live in a world now where people are just willing to make stuff up and lie, promote conspiracy theories, all these sorts of things, and a lot of people are buying it,” Popovich said. “So, pointing things out, calling it out when you need to, is important. Just like the congresswoman who went after Omar as far as being a terrorist. If you just ignore that, it continues. It becomes normal. But it doesn’t seem like there are a lot of consequences for people who act like that, so the least we can do is let them know we noticed it. Because if you don’t do that, then it’s even worse.”
Boebert, a Colorado Republican and loyal supporter of former President Donald Trump, apologized Friday after suggesting Omar, a liberal Democratic colleague from Minnesota, had been
part of a “jihad squad” on Capitol Hill.
“I apologize to anyone in the Muslim community I offended with my comment about Rep. Omar,” Boebert said via Twitter. “I have reached out to her office to speak with her directly. There are plenty of policy differences to focus on without this unnecessary distraction.”
Boebert’s apology came after a video surfaced on Twitter of her speaking at an event in her home state of Colorado, where she said she was getting into an elevator at the Capitol when she saw a Capitol police officer running toward her, according to Reuters.
“I see fret all over his face, and he’s reaching, and the door’s shutting, like I can’t open it, like what’s happening,” Boebert said. “I look to my left, and there she is. Ilhan Omar. And I said, ‘Well, she doesn’t have a backpack, we should be fine.’ ”
Boebert said it was “not my
first ‘jihad squad’ moment.”
Speaking at his pre-game session with reporters before Friday’s win over Boston at the AT&T Center, Popovich brought up Boebert’s anti-Muslim remarks after being asked about Celtics center Enes Kanter speaking out against human rights abuses in China.
Popovich, a passionate supporter of social justice and a frequent Trump critic, was asked if it’s encouraging to see a player take such a stance.
“Well, that’s a hard question to answer,” Popovich said. “There is a whole lot of stuff going on in the world in a whole lot of places. This probably isn’t the venue to decide which ones you want to talk about. But when somebody does pick something and decides it is important to them, it is good they do it. And if he feels strongly about certain situations in the world, to bring attention to it, is very important.
“I am glad that Enes speaks up
when he feels like it. I think it’s great. No reason not to.”
An outspoken supporter of global human rights causes, Kanter recently called for the International Olympic Committee to end plans to hold the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, especially after the brief disappearance of Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai.
Peng disappeared after lodging an allegation of sexual abuse against former Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli.
The Celtics faced a fierce backlash from China after Kanter posted a video in October voicing his support for Tibetan independence. Kanter is a native of Turkey.
The NBA has been involved in political and business controversies with China since 2019 when then-Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey expressed support for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests. Beijing wants foreign businesses and organizations to refrain from criticizing the country’s political positions while they want to retain access to its vast, lucrative market.
Kanter has called on other athletes and entertainers to speak out against China’s human rights abuses.
“There’s so many athletes, so many actors, so many singers and rappers out there. They’re scared to say a word because they care too much about their money — the endorsement deals, what the teams they play for say,” Kanter told Fox News.
“They should know one thing: It should be morals and principles over money. It shouldn’t be the opposite way. People’s life depends on this,” Kanter added.