Rabat – Valentina Gomez, a Republican congressional candidate in Texas, has sparked widespread outrage after posting a video on X showing her setting a copy of the Quran, the Islamic holy book, on fire.
The video was captioned: “I will end Islam in Texas so help me God.” It quickly went viral and drew sharp criticism from Muslim advocacy groups, political leaders, and users online.
“America is a Christian nation, so those terrorist Muslims can *** to any of the 57 Muslim nations. There is only one true God, and that is the God of Israel,” she said in the video.
This is not the first time Gomez has made headlines for targeting Muslim communities. In May 2025, she stormed the stage at Texas Muslim Capitol Day, an annual civic engagement event at the State Capitol.
She grabbed the microphone and shouted: “Islam has no place in Texas. Help me to Congress so we can end the Islamization of America. I only fear God.” The event, which included prayers, training, and meetings with lawmakers, was disrupted by her actions.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned her rhetoric and warned that such behavior fuels Islamophobia and threatens religious freedom in the United States.
Gomez has also drawn criticism for other provocative stunts. In December 2024, she released a campaign video showing the mock execution of a hooded immigrant while calling for “public executions” of undocumented migrants. Social media platforms restricted the footage for violent content.
Earlier this year, she filmed herself burning LGBTQ+ literature and made hostile remarks about transgender communities.
Rising Islamophobia
Gomez’s Quran-burning video comes at a time when Islamophobia is rising in many parts of the world, including the United States. Muslim advocacy groups say anti-Muslim hate speech and incidents have increased, especially among far-right political figures.
In recent years, some Republican politicians and candidates have used anti-Muslim rhetoric to appeal to certain voter bases. This has further deepened divisions in the United States.
The incident also echoes similar controversies in Europe. In Sweden, several far-right activists staged Quran burnings outside mosques in 2023 and 2024, sparking protests across Muslim-majority countries. The Swedish government condemned the acts but defended them as protected by free speech laws.
Many Muslims, both in the US and abroad, see such acts not as free expression but as deliberate attacks on their faith and identity. Advocacy groups stress that protecting religious freedom means ensuring that no community is targeted with hate.
