Deedra Abboud, a Phoenix-based lawyer running for the U.S. Senate, started receiving hateful messages online after posting a long message on her Facebook page. Since the backlash, her opponent, sitting Republican Senator Jeff Flake came to her defense.
The post in which spurred so much hatred on Abboud's Facebook page cited the importance of the separation of church and state, and reads as follows:
"Almost 250 years ago a group of dreamers came together and sketched out a revolutionary vision. No longer would they be shackled to the whims of a distant government, nor bound to the religion of an idiosyncratic king. They set out to forge their own futures, determine their own destinies, and follow their own faith. In their infinite wisdom, the Founding Fathers decreed that this nation would separate church and state, and in doing so protect both institutions. Government would be free from religious overreach, and religion would be free from government interference."
Some of the comments Abboud got in response, many of which targeted her Muslim faith, can only be described as awful. One user blasted, "Nice try but your first love is Satan (AKA Allah) and your second love is to a litter box your 'people' come from."
"You are as American as Chinese checkers," another guy responded.
Other posts said things like, "BAN ISLAM IN THE USA...WE HATE YOUR DEATH CULT," and "I bet you'll be a BLAST with constituents."
But in the midst of all the vitriol, Abboud found an unlikely ally. Flake responded to the hateful posts himself on Twitter:
Abboud has been experiencing attacks since launching her campaign against Flake earlier this year. Her spokeswoman, Jaclyn Freedman, told Arizona Central, "We make sure to have police escorts at our events because yes, we have received a lot of hate."
Since Flake's tweet, Abboud thanked him for "leadership in rejecting behavior that doesn't reflect our American values. AZ's amazing people deserve more of this."
Both candidates have a long, hard road ahead. Abboud is running for a seat as a Democrat in a typically red state, as the last Democrat to win a U.S. Senate seat in Arizona was Dennis DeConcini in 1988.
For Flake, Abboud isn't his only competition. He's also being challenged by fellow Republican Kelli Ward for his seat.
No matter how the race may go, take a moment to realize the importance of this moment. Our leaders should act with dignity and respect, and Sen. Flake proved that integrity and character hasn't yet fled our political system.