Muslim civil rights group calls for nationwide support to combat global anti-Muslim state policies, discrimination
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 6/9/23) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed action by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rep. Jan Schakowsky’s (D-IL) reintroduction of the Combating International Islamophobia Act.
CAIR is calling on all Americans to urge their members of Congress to co-sponsor and support this important bill that would establish a special envoy office in the U.S. State Department to monitor and combat international Islamophobia.
TAKE ACTION: URGE CONGRESS TO CREATE A SPECIAL STATE DEPARTMENT ENVOY TO COMBAT GLOBAL ISLAMOPHOBIA
SEE REP. OMAR’S PRESS RELEASE: Booker, Omar, Schakowsky Reintroduce Combating Global Islamophobia Bill
READ THE BILL: Click Here
Reintroduced yesterday in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, the Combating International Islamophobia Act is cosponsored by Reps André Carson, Rashida Tlaib, Joaquin Castro, Judy Chu, Madeleine Dean, Al Green, Sheila Jackson Lee, Sara Jacobs, Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr., John Larson, Summer Lee, Betty McCollum, James P. McGovern, Bill Pascrell, Jr., Dean Phillips, Mark Pocan, Ayanna Pressley, Linda Sánchez, Brad Sherman, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Nikema Williams.
The two primary aims of the Combating International Islamophobia Act are:
- Establishing an Office to Monitor and Combat Islamophobia at the State Department headed by a Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Islamophobia.
- Amending the Foreign Assistance Act and International Religious Freedom Act to require annual reporting on Islamophobia in each foreign country and establish a comprehensive strategy for promoting U.S. leadership in combatting Islamophobia worldwide.
In a statement, CAIR Director of Government Affairs Department Robert S. McCaw said:
“We welcome the reintroduction of the Combating International Islamophobia Act by Sen. Cory Booker, Rep. Ilhan Omar, and Rep. Jan Schakowsky, and urge all Americans to support this crucial bill.
“The establishment of a special envoy office within the U.S. State Department to monitor and combat international Islamophobia is a vital step toward safeguarding the rights and dignity of Muslims worldwide.
“This act not only extends the State Department’s mission to counter religious persecution, but also equips our nation to confront anti-Muslim policies promoted by state and non-state actors. By adopting this act, we can effectively combat Islamophobia-driven crises, including persecution in countries like India, Burma, and China, as well as transnational white supremacist and Islamophobic hate group networks.
“For decades, the American Muslim community has called for a special envoy position to address this rising tide of hate, and the Combating International Islamophobia Act can make this a reality.”
REASONS TO SUPPORT THE COMBATING INTERNATIONAL ISLAMOPHOBIA ACT:
The act was originally introduced in the 117th Congress as H.R.5665, the act passed by the House in December 2021 by a vote of 219-212. During the act’s floor debate the Biden-Harris Administration issued a statement of administration policy that “supports passage” of the act.
This act would officially extend the State Department’s official mission of combating religious persecution to countering Islamophobia and enhance our nation’s capacity to monitor and confront state and non-state actors promoting anti-Muslim policies.
State acts of persecution and violence against Muslims can be found in India, Burma, and China’s genocide and crimes against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. Adopting this act would give the U.S. a new tool to combat these Islamophobia-driven crises.
Transnational white supremacist and Islamophobic hate group networks have also inspired their followers to commit acts of anti-Muslim violence and terrorism, including but not limited to the tragic summer 2021 murder of a Muslim family in London, Ontario and the 2019 Christchurch, New Zealand mosque shootings.
For the past two decades the American Muslim community has consistently called for the creation of a special envoy position to monitor and combat this rising tide of hate – adopting this act would make this special envoy position a reality.
CAIR notes in March it joined an international coalition of Muslim advocacy organizations to issue a joint declaration commemorating March 15th, the first UN-recognized International Day to Combat Islamophobia, and announcing their intent to cooperate in the global struggle against anti-Muslim bigotry.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, [email protected]; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, [email protected]