Biden Promises a National Strategy against Islamophobia
Published in La Presse
(Canada) on 1 November 2023
by (link to original)
(Canada) on 1 November 2023
by (link to original)
Translated from
by Alyssa Noseworthy.
Edited by Michelle Bisson.
The Biden administration said last Wednesday that it would develop a “U.S. National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia,” an announcement that takes on particular significance in light of the high tensions in the United States surrounding the war between Israel and Hamas.
“[T]here is no place for hate in America against anyone. Period,” White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said in a press release.
“For too long, Muslims in America, and those perceived to be Muslim, such as Arabs and Sikhs, have endured a disproportionate number of hate-fueled attacks and other discriminatory incidents,” she lamented.
The strategy to combat Islamophobia must be developed in conjunction with concerned communities, activists and members of Congress.
Jean-Pierre specifically recalled the recent “barbaric” murder of a six-year-old Palestinian American child near Chicago, a racist crime according to the justice system.
The U.S. government has already launched a major plan against antisemitism.
The promise to also develop a strategy against Islamophobia isn’t new, but the Wednesday announcement comes in a very specific context.
The war unleashed after Hamas’ bloody attack on Israel has made the Muslim community in the United States fear a surge in hostility comparable to what followed the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Furthermore, the response from American President Joe Biden, who went to Israel to promise his unwavering support for the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, received strong criticism from Muslim and Arab Americans.
Specifically, the 80-year-old Democrat has been accused of turning a blind eye to the suffering of Palestinian citizens, which he defends by praising his efforts to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza and to allow civilian evacuations.
A poll conducted by the Arab American Institute shows that Arab American voters have massively turned away from Biden: support for the Democratic president in this group of voters has fallen from 59% in 2020 to 17% now.
“[T]here is no place for hate in America against anyone. Period,” White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said in a press release.
“For too long, Muslims in America, and those perceived to be Muslim, such as Arabs and Sikhs, have endured a disproportionate number of hate-fueled attacks and other discriminatory incidents,” she lamented.
The strategy to combat Islamophobia must be developed in conjunction with concerned communities, activists and members of Congress.
Jean-Pierre specifically recalled the recent “barbaric” murder of a six-year-old Palestinian American child near Chicago, a racist crime according to the justice system.
The U.S. government has already launched a major plan against antisemitism.
The promise to also develop a strategy against Islamophobia isn’t new, but the Wednesday announcement comes in a very specific context.
The war unleashed after Hamas’ bloody attack on Israel has made the Muslim community in the United States fear a surge in hostility comparable to what followed the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Furthermore, the response from American President Joe Biden, who went to Israel to promise his unwavering support for the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, received strong criticism from Muslim and Arab Americans.
Specifically, the 80-year-old Democrat has been accused of turning a blind eye to the suffering of Palestinian citizens, which he defends by praising his efforts to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza and to allow civilian evacuations.
A poll conducted by the Arab American Institute shows that Arab American voters have massively turned away from Biden: support for the Democratic president in this group of voters has fallen from 59% in 2020 to 17% now.
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