Florida Official Uses Anti-Muslim Slur
A Florida official used an anti-Muslim slur during a public meeting on Tuesday, drawing calls for his resignation.
Speaking at a Tuesday meeting of the Board of County Commissioners, Putnam County Commissioner Walton Pellicar used the slur “towel heads,” which has historically been directed at people from Arab, Middle Eastern or South Asian descent, while talking about the United States’ ongoing war with Iran. The term refers to people who wear headwear such as turbans or keffiyehs.
Newsweek reached out to Pellicer via email for comment outside of normal business hours.
Why It Matters
Political polarization has increased in recent years, sparking conversations about the balance between free speech and offensive discourse.
The war with Iran, which started when the U.S. and Israel launched joint military strikes on the country on February 28, has resulted in concerns about increased Islamophobia. Between that date and March 5, researchers at the Center for the Study of Organized Hate documented 25,348 posts on X with Islamophobic content, and when accounting for reposts, the reach expanded to 279,417 mentions.
What To Know
Pellicer made his comments while speaking about a visit to a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier in 2013, which is now being used in military operations involving Iran.
"I actually landed on the George H.W. Bush, which has now just been deployed to the Middle East," he said. "Kind of neat to think I was on that (carrier) that's over there flinging bombs on those towel heads."
He continued: "Sorry about that. But that's the way I feel about them folks. That particular country. We have a lot of other good friends over there but those are not out friends. Those are enemies."
In a statement, the Council on American-Islamic Relations Florida communications director Wilfredo A. Ruiz called on Pellicer to resign.
"Elected officials have a responsibility to represent all members of their community with dignity and respect,” Ruiz said. “The use of a hateful and dehumanizing slur by Commissioner Pellicer is unacceptable and unbefitting of public office. His refusal to apologize only compounds the harm caused to American Muslims and others who expect their leaders to uphold basic standards of decency. We call on Commissioner Pellicer to resign immediately."
It comes amid other instances of anti-Muslim sentiment among American politicians. Florida Republican Randy Fine has faced calls for his resignation after the congressman suggested in a February social media post that he’d choose dogs over Muslims. In March, he triggered a backlash when he wrote on X: “We need more Islamophobia, not less. Fear of Islam is rational.”
Meanwhile, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani faced anti-Muslim messages and death threats during his campaign last year and was forced to hire security to deal with the increasing threats made against him.
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This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 10:07 AM.