Biden unveils strategy to counter surging Islamophobia in US

US President Joe Biden has said that against the backdrop of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, his country is experiencing an "appalling" surge in hatred towards Muslims.

“Here at home, we have seen an appalling resurgence of hate and violence toward Muslim Americans. Islamophobia has absolutely no place in the United States, a country founded on freedom of worship and built on the contributions of immigrants, including Muslim immigrants,” Caliber.Az quotes Biden as addressing a briefing on the occasion of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

To that end, Biden said his administration is working on a strategy to tackle Islamophobia: “My administration is developing the first-ever National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia and Related Forms of Bias and Discrimination, to take on hate against Muslim, Sikh, South Asian, and Arab American communities, wherever it occurs.” 

“No one should ever fear being targeted at school, at work, on the street, or in their community because of their background or beliefs,” Biden stated.

March 15 was designated as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia following significant international deliberation. The decision was first announced during a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Niamey, Niger, on November 27-28, 2020. Subsequently, in 2022, the United Nations General Assembly officially adopted March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, marking a pivotal moment in the global fight against discrimination and prejudice.