NewsRescue
The White House announced on Thursday that President Joe Biden’s administration will develop a strategy to combat Islamophobia in the United States, following reports of widespread dissatisfaction among American Muslims with Washington’s support for Israel.
“President Biden ran for office to restore our nation’s soul.” He is unequivocal: there is no place in America for hatred against anyone. “Plain and simple,” said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in a statement. “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.”
A White House official told CNN that developing a “comprehensive and detailed plan” to protect “Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim” from “discrimination, hate, bigotry, and violence” for any reason will be a joint project of the Domestic Policy Council (DPC) and the National Security Council, in collaboration with local communities.
The NSC is led by Jake Sullivan, who wrote an article for Foreign Affairs Magazine just before the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, describing the Middle East as “quieter than it has been in decades.”
Neera Tanden, a longtime associate of Democratic strategist and former chair of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign John Podesta, is in charge of the DPC. Biden had intended to appoint the latter as head of the Office of Management and Budget.
The announcement on combating Islamophobia followed Biden’s visit to Minnesota, where he met with several Muslim activists, including Attorney General Keith Ellison, a former Democratic Party deputy chairman. A coalition of Muslim activists in Minnesota demanded ahead of the visit that Biden call for a ceasefire in Gaza or risk losing 50,000 votes in the Midwestern state.
“They’ve taken us for granted,” said Jaylani Hussein, a Muslim community organiser in Minnesota.
“What’s happening is a betrayal,” Hassan Abdel Salam, a human rights professor in Minneapolis, said.