In a move that has ignited fierce condemnation and debate, Valentina Gomez, a candidate for Missouri Secretary of State, has released a campaign video showing her setting fire to a copy of the Quran, the holy book of Islam.
The controversial footage, posted to her social media ahead of the August Republican primary, shows Gomez using a lighter to set the book ablaze while delivering a stark political message. She is heard stating, "This is what I think of your religion: get out of my country. If you don't like our God, then don't come here."
The act has been widely condemned as a blatant act of religious intolerance and hate speech. Political opponents and advocacy groups have been quick to criticise the stunt, labelling it a desperate and dangerous attempt to garner attention that fuels division and disrespects religious freedoms.
Gomez, however, has defiantly stood by her actions. In a follow-up post on the platform X (formerly Twitter), she doubled down, writing, "When I'm in office, I will make sure we have no woke ideologies. We will not have communism. We will not have any of this crap that they are trying to shove down our throats in the state of Missouri."
This incident is not Gomez's first foray into provocative campaigning. She previously faced backlash for a video in which she brandished a firearm while criticising what she termed "lazy welfare-loving individuals." Her campaign tactics are seen as emblematic of a particularly aggressive and inflammatory style of politics.
The video's release has thrust the Missouri Secretary of State race into the national spotlight, raising serious questions about the boundaries of political discourse and the rise of anti-religious rhetoric in American elections. The fallout from this incident is likely to dominate the final weeks of the primary campaign.
