Booker, Omar, Schakowsky Reintroduce Bicameral Combating Global Islamophobia Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and U.S. Representatives Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) reintroduced the bicameral Combating International Islamophobia Act, legislation to address the staggering rise in incidents of Islamophobia worldwide. The bill requires the State Department to create a Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Islamophobia. It will also establish a comprehensive strategy for establishing U.S. leadership in combatting Islamophobia worldwide.

There has been a rise in incidents of violent Islamophobia incidents worldwide. Whether it is the atrocities being committed against the Uyghurs in China and the Rohingya in Burma, the crackdowns on Muslim populations in India and Sri Lanka, the scapegoating of Muslim refugees and other Muslims in Hungary and Poland, the acts of white supremacist violence targeting Muslims in New Zealand and Canada, or the targeting of minority Muslim communities in Muslim-majority countries like Pakistan, Bahrain, and Iran—the problem of Islamophobia is global in scope.

“Disturbing incidents of Islamophobic rhetoric and attacks continue to threaten the safety and well-being of the Muslim community at home and around the world,” said Senator Booker. “By establishing a Special Envoy at the State Department, we can develop a comprehensive plan to counter Islamophobia and help combat hate wherever and whenever it occurs. Ensuring that people can practice their faith without fear of discrimination or violence is one of our nation’s core values, and we must continue our urgent work to safeguard religious freedoms at home and abroad.”

“Anti-Muslim bigotry is a global phenomenon,” said Representative Omar. “It is time for us as policymakers to understand these problems as interconnected and genuinely global. That’s why I’m proud to partner with Senator Cory Booker and Representative Jan Schakowsky to create a special envoy to put an end to this bigotry. Last Congress, we were successful in passing this bill through the House, and I hope we can keep the momentum to get this bill passed into law once and for all.”

“For over a decade we have seen increasing incidents of violent Islamophobia both in the U.S. and worldwide – from the genocide of the Rohingya in Burma, and Uyghurs in China, to the attacks on Muslim refugees in Canada and New Zealand,” said Representative Schakowsky. “I am proud to join my friends and colleagues, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and Senator Cory Booker, in reintroducing the Combating International Islamophobia Act. This critical legislation will create a Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Islamophobia to ensure the U.S. dedicates the resources necessary to safeguard human rights and religious and cultural freedom around the world. Last Congress, the House of Representatives made great progress by advancing our bill which would establish a comprehensive plan for combating this hatred worldwide, but we must get it over the finish line. Let’s do it.”

The bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT).

The full text of the legislation is available here.

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