Seyed Hossein Rezvani – Human Rights Analyst
The strategy, which is aimed at combating Islamophobia, discrimination, violence, and hatred against Muslim and Arab-American communities, claims to help create an inclusive and safe environment in which violations of the human rights and inherent dignity of Muslims living in the United States are prevented, and efforts are made to protect and promote them. The designers of this strategy argue that combating Islamophobia is not only a duty in the direction of social justice but also a benchmark for measuring America’s commitment to the fundamental principles of human rights, equality, and freedom.
This report, while examining the background of the subject and the objectives of the development of the aforementioned strategy, briefly discusses the main elements, implementation framework, criticisms, operational challenges, recommendations, and solutions that the United States claims to implement within the framework of the strategy mentioned above to combat Islamophobia, and critically explains the extent to which the adoption of a tactical approach and the use of soft power by the United States in practice conflict with the country’s macro policies in containing or managing the crisis in West Asia and comprehensive support for the Zionist regime.
Background and necessity for developing the strategy
On December 12, 2024, the White House introduced the first national strategy to combat Islamophobia. The significant increase in hate crimes against Muslims and Arab Americans, including the painful murder of Wadia Al-Fayoumi, a 6-year-old Palestinian-American child, in October 2023, highlighted the need for serious action. The strategy claims to seek to eliminate stereotypes and discriminatory structures that reinforce Islamophobia in this country.
Main pillars of the US strategy
- Public awareness and education: Educational content in schools and media campaigns increase public knowledge about Muslims’ history, culture, and contributions and reduce negative stereotypes.
- Promoting the safety and security of Muslim communities: The national strategy includes measures to report hate crimes better, provide financial support to local organizations, and strengthen the security infrastructure of Muslim places of worship, including mosques.
- Respect for religious freedoms: The strategy aims to ensure the religious rights of Muslims, including the right to wear religious clothing, hold prayers in the workplace, and eliminate employment or administrative barriers based on religious beliefs by reforming policies and regulations.
- Strengthening solidarity between different communities: This strategy focuses on expanding interfaith dialogue, implementing joint community-based projects, and creating a space for interaction and cooperation between people of various ethnicities and religions.
Implementation framework and operational structure
Implementing this strategy requires interagency and multi-layered cooperation between the federal government, states, non-governmental organizations, and local community leaders.
- Data collection and analysis: Improving the quality of data related to hate crimes and access to reliable information for smart policymaking.
- Continuous engagement with local communities: Engaging closely with Muslim and Arab communities to ensure that their real needs are met.
- Reviewing discriminatory policies: Eliminating or modifying policies such as no-fly lists and other practices that intentionally or unintentionally lead to discrimination.
Challenges and criticisms
Although this strategy is considered a positive step at first glance, some civil society organizations, such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), have raised criticisms. For example, the strategy does not yet address some discriminatory programs, such as security blacklists, and the level of transparency in its implementation is questionable.
Recommendations and actions claimed
The predictions made in the strategy include:
- “Stronger oversight mechanisms: Establish federal working groups to monitor progress and provide public reports continuously.
- Support local initiatives: Provide funding to local organizations and institutions active in countering hate speech.
- Youth engagement programs: Expand intercultural education in schools and universities to train the next generation of leaders committed to tolerance.
- International cooperation: Exchange experiences and successful practices with other countries in combating Islamophobia and hate speech.
- Media and technology oversight: Strengthen regulations and impose greater oversight on media and cyberspace to prevent the spread of Islamophobic content.”
Contradictions in US policies
While the White House is trying to present a supportive image of Muslim minorities by publishing this strategy, the macro policies of the United States, especially in its unlimited support for the Zionist regime, create an apparent contradiction with these claims. Since the formation of the Zionist occupation regime in Palestine, the United States has always guaranteed the survival of this regime through military, political, legal, economic, and media support.
In the course of the developments after October 7, 2023, the US government’s support for the oppressive and violent actions of the Israeli regime against the Palestinian people has been increasing. According to the assessment of international institutions, this support has led to the commission of widespread crimes that, according to the decisions issued by international legal authorities and institutions such as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC), examples of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity have been identified in the occupied territories. According to statistics published by the British medical journal The Lancet, over the past 14 months, more than 183,000 Palestinians have lost their lives as a result of Israel’s relentless and violent attacks, with a significant number of victims being children and women. Such statistics are consistent with evidence that indicates gross violations of human rights and collective punishment against the defenseless Palestinian people.
The rulings of the International Court of Justice in July 2024 and the International Criminal Court in November 2024 against the Israeli regime and its officials indicate the confirmation by international judicial institutions of serious violations of human rights and international law by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories. The contradiction between the claims and declared positions of the United States in defense of the rights of Muslim minorities in this country, on the one hand, and the practical and continuous support for the inhumane actions of the Zionist apartheid regime in Palestine, on the other, clearly demonstrates the duality of Washington’s policies in the field of human rights.
Conclusion
Although the White House National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia is declared to be a step towards protecting the rights of American Muslims, the contradiction between the claims of defending the rights of Muslim minorities within the United States and the relentless support of an occupying and oppressive regime outside the country’s borders not only undermines the credibility of the US government’s claims but also confirms Washington’s instrumental use of public diplomacy and media capabilities to distort facts and shape public opinion in the direction of its biased political goals.
Countering Islamophobia within the borders of the United States without reviewing the country’s macro-regional and international policies, especially with regard to supporting the Zionist regime and condoning its crimes, is a gross violation of purpose and will not lead to tangible results. The true test of America’s commitment to the principles of equality and freedom will manifest not in official statements and strategic documents but in the alignment and compatibility of this country’s policies and practical actions with its claims in the domestic and international arenas.
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