(USA TODAY) – WASHINGTON – Muslims to Biden: Fighting Islamophobia requires more than lifting Trump’s travel ban.
Muslim groups across the country are calling on President Joe Biden’s administration to name a special envoy to monitor and combat Islamophobia
which a U.N. expert says has escalated to “epidemic proportions.”
In the letter, the U.S.
Council of Muslim Organizations told Biden a special envoy to monitor and combat Islamophobia at the State Department could help address the issue that affects the third largest religious group in the country.
The envoy could support efforts both in the United States and internationally against anti-Muslim hate crimes and where Muslims are denied constitutional rights.
The White House did not respond to questions about whether the administration will appoint a special envoy to combat Islamophobia. But Biden condemned violence against Muslim Americans in a statement last week marking the beginning of Ramadan.
Muslim Americans continue to be targeted by bullying, bigotry and hate crimes, he said. This prejudice and these attacks are wrong. They are unacceptable. And they must stop.
No one in America should ever live in fear of expressing his or her faith. And my administration will work tirelessly to protect the rights and safety of all people.”
Biden repealed a 2017 executive order by former President Donald Trump that prevented foreign nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S.
He also hosted a meeting with more than 20 leading Muslim organizations, and his administration declared China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims a genocide.
The special envoy requested by the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations also could confront anti-Muslim bigotry internationally in countries.
such as Myanmar, where 130,000 Rohingya Muslims are imprisoned in 24 internment camps, and China.
Where Uyghurs are systematically raped, sexually abused, and tortured in re-education camps in Xinjiang Province, according to the U.N. report.
A State Department spokesperson said the department could not speak to any potential nominations.
“The Biden administration remains fully committed to promoting universal respect for freedom of religion or belief for all, including for members of Muslim communities worldwide,” the spokesperson said.
“We continue to prioritize efforts to engage with Muslims around the world on issues of mutual interest, in support of shared goals, and to advance U.S. foreign policy.”