The United States House of Representatives has voted to approve a Democratic proposal for a State Department office to address anti-Muslim bias, after a Republican congresswoman used a slur against a Democratic colleague. The bill that was passed on Tuesday, authored by Representative Ilhan Omar, would create a special envoy for monitoring and combating anti-Muslim bias, including state-sponsored anti-Muslim violence, in the department’s annual human rights reports.
“We are in the midst of a staggering rise of anti-Muslim violence and discrimination around the world,” Omar said on the House floor.
“Islamophobia is global in scope and we must lead the global effort to address it,” she added.
The House backed the bill, titled the ‘‘Combating International Islamophobia Act”, in a party-line vote of 219-212.
The office would monitor and combat “acts of Islamophobia and Islamophobic incitement that occur in foreign countries” by noting instances of violence and harassment against Muslims and community institutions.
It will also take note of propaganda in media that “attempt to justify or promote racial hatred or incite acts of violence against Muslim people”.
The House vote comes a few weeks after video emerged showing first-term Republican lawmaker Lauren Boebert calling Omar, a Muslim second-term congresswoman who was born in Somalia, a member of a “jihad squad.”
That comment led to calls by Democrats for a vote to strip Boebert of her committee assignments, as well as criticism by fellow Republican Representative Nancy Mace. (TRT World)
