Biden is paving the way for a dangerous ideology

By DALIA AL-AQIDI

“Americans need to comprehend that Islamists are the oppressors in their own homeland and are willing to do whatever it takes to manipulate the good nature of the average American who respects freedom of religion and expects others to do so.”

Democratic members of the US House of Representatives passed legislation last week to create a special envoy to combat Islamophobia worldwide. The bill was sponsored by Muslim Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota, and her Jewish colleague Rep. Jan Schakowsky, a Democrat from Illinois.

At first glance, the creation of this position seems noble as it reassures Muslim minorities around the globe who are being persecuted or facing racism that the leader of the free world is ready to acknowledge their suffering and defend them if necessary. But the reality is the opposite.

As an American Muslim, I stand against this bill along with many similar-minded Muslims who know firsthand what political Islamism is all about and are willing to fight these efforts.

The term “Islamophobia” itself is questionable, especially since it is nothing but an invention of political Islamists who wanted to silence even Muslim voices who question their motives and object to their totalitarian ideology in the name of freedom of religion.

The bill that was proudly supported by the Democratic party failed to define Islamophobia.

Does describing Hamas as a terrorist group fall into this category? What about condemning suicide bombings by Islamist jihadists? And, most importantly, would standing against the Muslim Brotherhood and its defenders make you an “Islamophobe” who deserves to be canceled?

No one has the answers, except the Islamists themselves who are trying to infiltrate the Western political system and modify it to suit their political agenda, which has nothing to do with the Muslim faith.

Otherwise, why did Omar, who claims to fight for human rights around the globe, refuse to support a resolution recognizing the Armenian genocide if not for the benefit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who met her in a closed meeting in New York during the 72nd UN General Assembly before her US Congressional bid?

If we look at the organizations that contributed to the grooming and presentation of US politicians such as Omar and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, along with a significant number of Islamist candidates who ran for public office around the US, we notice that all go back to a single source, which explains the unified narrative and shared vocabulary.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, which describes itself as the largest Muslim civil liberties organization, and its executive director, Nihad Awad, who does not hide his admiration for the Turkish regime and his close ties to Erdogan, is the sole source behind the recent Islamist political wave in the US.

Awad called on the congressional leadership and the Biden-Harris administration to support the legislation and make this special envoy position a reality. “While global Islamophobia, anti-Muslim state policies, and hate incidents have increased for the past two decades, the American Muslim community has consistently called for the creation of a special envoy position to monitor and combat this rising tide of hate,” he wrote.

This month CAIR gave Omar the Muslim-American public servant of the year award for “her activism in the US House of Representatives in light of her recent feud with Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado), who made Islamophobic remarks about her fellow congresswoman.”

This is exactly how Islamists operate — by victimizing themselves, then glorifying their actions in the name of “Islamophobia,” while President Joe Biden paves the road for the most dangerous ideology in our modern history.

“The administration looks forward to working with Congress to ensure the Secretary of State has the necessary flexibility and permissive authority to designate such an office and special envoy and to provide for an annual report monitoring concerning acts of Islamophobia in foreign countries,” the White House said.

Americans need to comprehend that Islamists are the oppressors in their own homeland and are willing to do whatever it takes to manipulate the good nature of the average American who respects freedom of religion and expects others to do so.

The 212 Republican representatives who voted against this legislation are not “Islamophobes.” On the contrary, they took this brave action to defend Muslims such as myself who believe in the US Constitution and are being targeted by American Islamists for doing so. They did it to protect the Constitution’s First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of expression by prohibiting Congress from restricting the press or the rights of individuals to speak freely.

However, the fight is not over yet. Next year, the bill will be presented to the US Senate, where it is expected to stall — as it should — while senators such as Ted Cruz should focus on designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group before it is too late.

• Dalia Al-Aqidi is a senior fellow at the Center for Security Policy. Twitter: @DaliaAlAqidi

First published in Arab News on Tuesday 21 December, 2021.