To: Patrick Colbeck, Republican Candidate for Governor of Michigan and Michigan GOP
Patrick Colbeck: Bigotry has no place in Politics
Bigotry has no place in professional political discourse. Your unfounded claims to a known hate group against Democratic candidate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed were explicit, xenophobic, Islamophobic, and racist.
We demand that you recant these statements and resign your candidacy for Governor of Michigan. We, the citizens of Michigan, will not tolerate these blatant statements of bigotry and hatred and we will stand against you and any organization affiliated with you or your political organization.
We demand that you recant these statements and resign your candidacy for Governor of Michigan. We, the citizens of Michigan, will not tolerate these blatant statements of bigotry and hatred and we will stand against you and any organization affiliated with you or your political organization.
Why is this important?
Abdul El-Sayed is a Michigan born and raised physician and public health officer who is running to win the Democratic Party nomination for governor.
A long anticipated explicit, xenophobic, Islamophobic, racist attack against Dr. El-Sayed was launched earlier this month. The hate speech did not come from a fringe organization but from Republican candidate for governor Patrick Colbeck. Mr. Colbeck made an unfounded outlandish accusation that Abdul was part of an extremist conspiracy to take over the country. According to Buzzfeed, he made those remarks at an event held by United West. The group has been classified as an “active anti-Muslim group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks the activity of hate organizations.
“While it came as no surprise, we didn’t feel any less disgusted,” said Ayman Khafagi, the Vice Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) Progressive Caucus.
“We believe that the comments are disqualifying and should not be tolerated.” Kelly Collison, the Chair of the MDP Progressive Caucus added: “We believe that we should stand in solidarity and boycott every entity that continues to associate with Mr. Colbeck. Mr. Colbeck and his like should have no place in politics.”
The MDP Progressive Caucus condemns the Republican candidate’s remarks and calls upon all political entities to join us in standing up to bigotry.
A long anticipated explicit, xenophobic, Islamophobic, racist attack against Dr. El-Sayed was launched earlier this month. The hate speech did not come from a fringe organization but from Republican candidate for governor Patrick Colbeck. Mr. Colbeck made an unfounded outlandish accusation that Abdul was part of an extremist conspiracy to take over the country. According to Buzzfeed, he made those remarks at an event held by United West. The group has been classified as an “active anti-Muslim group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks the activity of hate organizations.
“While it came as no surprise, we didn’t feel any less disgusted,” said Ayman Khafagi, the Vice Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) Progressive Caucus.
“We believe that the comments are disqualifying and should not be tolerated.” Kelly Collison, the Chair of the MDP Progressive Caucus added: “We believe that we should stand in solidarity and boycott every entity that continues to associate with Mr. Colbeck. Mr. Colbeck and his like should have no place in politics.”
The MDP Progressive Caucus condemns the Republican candidate’s remarks and calls upon all political entities to join us in standing up to bigotry.