Biden Administration Announces Strategy To Combat Islamophobia
The White House has launched a national strategy to combat islamophobia, outlining over 100 measures to address hate and discrimination against Muslims and Arab Americans.
Biden Administration Announces Strategy To Combat Islamophobia
On Thursday, US President Joe Biden announced the first-ever national strategy aimed at combating Islamophobia. This 64-page strategy, released recently, emphasises the urgent need for ongoing efforts to reduce discrimination and bias.
Sources indicate that this new plan is designed to address the rising hate and violence directed at anti-Muslims and anti-Arabs, especially in the wake of the Israel-Gaza conflict, which has intensified hostility towards these communities.
Importantly, this strategy comes just five weeks before Biden leaves office, making way for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR ) responded to the plan, noting, “While the White House strategy includes some positive recommendations to combat anti-Muslim bias, it arrives too late to create a meaningful impact. Additionally, it falls short of addressing federal programs that contribute to widespread discrimination against Muslims.”
They also pointed out that the strategy does not tackle issues such as the so-called "federal watchlist" or the “US-backed genocide in Gaza.”
Meanwhile, Trump's team has refrained from commenting on the strategy. Trump has previously indicated plans to ban entry into the US for individuals who question Israel’s right to exist and to revoke visas for foreign students labelled as “antisemitic.”
However, tensions have escalated on US campuses since the Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7, with human rights groups sounding the alarm over rising antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Arab sentiments.
