Social media users are blasting Valentina Gomez, a Colombia-born candidate for Texas's 31st congressional district, for desecrating a copy of the Quran with a flamethrower in a viral video, an action that has led to her being banned from all major social media platforms except X.

The far-right MAGA (Make America Great Again) candidate contesting as Republican has ignited fury with a campaign advertisement in which she is seen torching a copy of Quran and declaring that Islam must be stopped "once and for all."

In the incendiary footage, she falsely claims that "America is a Christian nation" and refers to Muslims as "terrorists," telling them to "go … to any of the 57 Muslim nations. There is only one true God, and that is the God of Israel."

However, her actions have sparked outrage, with many users noting that Gomez, who claims to love Jesus and his mother Mary, has disrespected both religious figures who are mentioned dozens of times, directly or indirectly, in the Muslim holy book.

"Jesus [is] mentioned positively 25 times and Mary 36 times in the Quran. Compare this to the Talmud. @ValentinaForUSA why did you disrespect Jesus and Mary for Zionists by burning the Quran?," wrote a social media user.

"In the Quran, Jesus is mentioned 25 times; his mother, Mary, is mentioned more often than in the New Testament, 34 times. An entire chapter is named after her; Sura 19 is entirely devoted to her and recounts the miraculous birth of Jesus. She set fire to it, poor, ignorant girl," another netizen argued.

Leveraging religion to boost her political ambitions

Muslims represent a modest, yet expanding, segment of the population within the United States. Discrimination and attacks against Muslims and Arabs in the US reached a new peak in 2024 amidst Israel's genocide in Gaza, advocacy groups say.

Gomez, who was born in Colombia, is a politician who has not achieved success. She has a history of employing distasteful tactics and using hateful rhetoric against Muslims, Black people, and immigrants in an attempt to gain notoriety and enter politics.

Gomez concludes her recent video by stating she is "powered by Jesus Christ."

Social media users suggest she's leveraging religion to boost her nascent political ambitions.

"Get out of my state we have no place for intolerance and hateful people who don’t believe in basic human rights such as THE FIRST AMENDMENT which allows for freedom of religion why don’t you learn the basics before running for office," one user told Gomez.

Quran burning "shows her ignorance", wrote another user.

"The Quran honours Christians as 'closest in affection' (Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:82) and reveres Jesus as a prophet and Mary as one of the most righteous women (5:75, 5:110). Her actions fuel hate, not understanding."

Richard Grenell, US President Donald Trump's special envoy for special missions, also criticised Gomez for "undermining" the First Amendment to the US Constitution.

"Stop undermining the very First Amendment to the Constitution established by our forefathers. The US Constitution guarantees freedom of religion. You don’t understand our freedoms very well," he wrote on X.

'Hear the testimony of Mother Agapia'

In December 2024, Gomez caused outrage by sharing a graphic video simulating the public execution of a migrant. Gomez posted the video showing her shooting a hooded dummy.

The video prompted Colombia's President, Gustavo Petro, to label her as "fascist."

"She is not just an American fascist. She is Colombian. And being a migrant, what she wants is to unleash hatred against migrants. Most Americans are killed by Americans."

Her actions also impacted her brother, Jonathan Gomez Noriega, who was dismissed from his role in Mayor Steven Fulop's office after donating to her campaign.

Despite Gomez's pro-Trump stance, he hasn't endorsed her.

Shaikha Ali Al-Marri, a senior official in Qatar's Foreign Ministry, stated that if Gomez truly cared about Christians, "she would stand with them, not with a Zionist colonial regime [Israel] that even many Jews oppose for its terrorism and oppression."

"She [Gomez] should listen to the suffering of Christians in the Holy Land, in Palestine, under an Israeli regime that spits on, assaults, and kills them, bombing their cathedrals and desecrating their sanctuaries. If she sincerely wanted to defend Christianity, she should hear the testimony of Mother Agapia, rather than aligning with those who desecrate Christ’s followers," she wrote on X.

Al-Marri also shared a YouTube link featuring Mother Agapia Stephanopoulos' recent interview with Tucker Carlson, hailed for highlighting Palestinian Christians' experiences under Israeli occupation and the war on Gaza.