Muslim American Advocates Hesitant to Collaborate with White House on Countering Islamophobia

The White House’s efforts to develop a strategy to counter Islamophobia in the United States have faced reluctance from some Muslim American advocates. This hesitance arises amid a surge in hate-fueled incidents against Arab and Muslim Americans since the Hamas attack on Israel in October.

Muslim American advocates have expressed frustration with the Biden administration’s response to the situation in Gaza. They cite the increasing number of civilian casualties and President Biden’s decision to stop short of calling for a cease-fire. The advocates argue that American Muslims feel unsafe and unsupported as they witness the violence against Palestinians in Gaza.

Many Muslim families, students, and employees are afraid to speak out against the violence for fear of retaliation. Those who have spoken out have faced consequences such as job loss, suspension, censorship, online harassment, bullying, and targeted violence.

Despite the Biden administration’s efforts to create a strategy to counter Islamophobia, some Muslim American advocates are skeptical about working with them in the future. Salam Al-Marayati, the president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, has previously worked with the Biden White House but now questions the effectiveness of a national strategy to counter Islamophobia.

The White House announced its plans to develop a national strategy to counter Islamophobia in November, led by the Domestic Policy and National Security Councils. This proposal follows the federal government’s first-ever National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, announced in May.

The development of the Islamophobia strategy has been ongoing for over a year, with engagement from stakeholders in the community. Additional meetings are scheduled for early next year. The effort is part of a White House interagency policy committee created in December 2022 that focuses on countering antisemitism, Islamophobia, and related types of discrimination.

While some advocates express doubts about the strategy, others believe it is crucial to continue working on ways to counter hate and address systemic discrimination issues that have targeted the Arab and Muslim communities for decades. Arsalan Suleman, board chair and co-founder of America Indivisible, emphasizes the importance of engaging with the White House on the Islamophobia strategy despite the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

The White House remains committed to the development of the strategy, with administration officials listening to the community’s concerns. They acknowledge the impact of events overseas on Islamophobia in the United States and encourage open communication between the White House and the Arab and Muslim American community.

The White House hopes to complete its work on the strategy in late winter or spring. The senior administration official also addressed criticism about the timing of the announcement, explaining that the White House had planned to announce the development of the strategy well before the Hamas attack in October. Months of conversations and meetings with dozens of Muslim and Arab American groups preceded the announcement, and the increase in hate-fueled anti-Muslim incidents in the United States, such as the deadly stabbing of a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy in the Chicago area, created a need to move forward with announcing the strategy.