Biden White House to implement 'national strategy' to tackle Islamophobia

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US President Joe Biden has had to release plans this week to tackle Islamophobia and antisemitism, trying to regain voters that are key to the next election (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
US President Joe Biden has had to release plans this week to tackle Islamophobia and antisemitism, trying to regain voters that are key to the next election (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

As support for Joe Biden and the Democrats falls quickly among Arab American voters, the White House has released a statement regarding a plan to tackle Islamophobia.

As the U.S. continues to support Israel after Hamas' devastating attack on October 7th, which has led to a bloody war, Muslims across the U.S. have protested against Biden's plans to donate additional money and supplies as the war in the Middle East rages.

To combat this and attempt to seize back some support from Arab and Muslim communities, the Biden administration posted a statement today that announces the intent to begin a first-ever national bid against Islamophobia.

Biden White House to implement 'national strategy' to tackle Islamophobia eiqkiqhkiqueinvPresident Biden and his cabinet announce a new plan to combat Islamaphobia through the White House Press Secretary (AFP via Getty Images)

President Biden "and Vice President Harris are announcing that their Administration will develop the first-ever U.S. National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia in the United States," begins the statement.

The program will be developed by a number of government agencies that will look at the best ways to combat Islamophobia. "We look forward to continuing our work with community leaders, advocates, members of Congress, and more to develop the strategy – which will be a joint effort led by the Domestic Policy Council and the National Security Council – and counter the scourge of Islamophobia and hate in all its forms," said the White House press release.

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According to a new poll conducted by the Arab-American institute, support for Biden's reelection bid dropped by 42 percentage points, from 59 per cent in 2020 to 17 per cent among Arab-American voters. Further fanning the flames against Biden, Arab community members and leaders say that Islamaphobia is the worst they've seen in the U.S. since 9/11.

Biden White House to implement 'national strategy' to tackle IslamophobiaLandlord Joseph Czuba allegedly stabbed Wadea Al-Fayoume, six, to death, and put his mother in the hospital also with multiple stab wounds, was paranoid about Hamas' 'day of jihad' after listening to the radio
Biden White House to implement 'national strategy' to tackle IslamophobiaEaston Amjad Waz, 5, holds a sign during a vigil for Wadea Al Fayoume at Prairie Activity and Recreation Center in Plainfield, Illinois (AP)

The Council on American-Islamic Relations said that it "received 774 requests for help and reports of bias incidents from Muslims across the U.S. from Oct. 7 to Oct. 24." According to the group, this is an 182 per cent jump from last year. In comparison, during a 16-day period in 2022, they received an average of 274 complaints.

The Biden administration acknowledged the uptick in their statement, mentioning the recent killing of a six-year-old Palestinian boy by his landlord, who spouted hateful statements as he attacked a Palestinian-American family.

Biden White House to implement 'national strategy' to tackle IslamophobiaKamala Harris has also signed on to work on a plan to combat Islamophobia throughout the US (Anadolu via Getty Images)

"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. We all mourn the recent barbaric killing of Wadea Al-Fayoume, a 6-year-old Palestinian American Muslim boy, and the brutal attack on his mother in their home outside Chicago," said the statement.

“We’re working seven days a week, around the clock, fielding incoming complaints,” said Corey Saylor, CAIR’s research and advocacy director. “I’ve only ever seen that twice in my career: right after 9/11 and in December 2015 after that announcement by Trump of his plan to ban Muslims from the country.”

However, according to a 2020 NPR piece, Biden has already been struggling to retain the vote of Arabs and Muslims in the U.S. In the last election, Emgage, a Muslim-American civic group, found that almost 1.1 million Muslims voted in the 2020 election, which is an all-time high.

Associated Press exit polls showed 64 per cent of Muslims voted for Biden, and 35 per cent voted for his Republican rival, Donald Trump - but even in that election, Trump appears to have gotten more support than the previous election from American Muslims, despite outrage over Trump's "Travel Ban."

Associated Press exit polls showed that 35 per cent of Muslims voted for Trump in 2020, while 64 per cent cast votes for Joe Biden. A separate poll from a Muslim civil rights group found that 17 per cent of Muslims voted for Trump, but that was still up by four percentage points from its poll in 2016.

The increase in support didn't surprise experts like Dalia Mogahed, director of research at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, an American Muslim research organization. Their organization conducted a poll in the spring of 2020.

"We did see a weakening of Democratic support among Muslims," she said. "Just from 2019 to 2020, the percentage of Muslims who increased their approval rating of the president had gone up significantly."

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It's key for Biden as he seeks reelection in states like Michigan, Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and other swing states, as just a marginal amount of votes can cost him the entire state.

Yelena Mandenberg

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