Biden’s Islamophobia Guide: A Contradiction in Action

The "Strategic Guidance for Combating Islamophobia and Anti-Arab Hatred" was a paper produced by the Biden government on December 12, 2024. From what I could see, it was an effort to combat the widespread anti-Muslim and Islamophobic prejudice in America. But when you look closely, you'll see that the declaration is really a symbolic gesture—an obvious effort to make the government look good while it continues to be involved in the suffering of Muslims around the world.

The horrific beheading of six-year-old Palestinian-American youngster Wadiya al-Fiyoume by his adoptive father, which highlighted the increasing anti-Muslim hatred in the United States, prompted the issuance of the letter. It is reminiscent of the time after 9/11, when Asians, Muslims, and Arabs were subject to massive prejudice and brutality. In it, President Biden expresses his disapproval of acts of violence against these groups and recalls the hurtful legacy of racism. On the other hand, it frames the lifting of President Trump's Muslim travel ban as a major victory and an improvement in inclusiveness. However, the government's complicity in maintaining this cycle of systematic state violence against Muslims in America is ignored in this simplified account.

Juxtaposed with his administration's policies, especially its steadfast backing of Israel in the face of the continuing massacre in Gaza, Biden's symbolic denunciation of Islamophobia sounds admirable on paper but falls flat on its face. The United States has backed Israel militarily and diplomatically for more than fifteen months as it has brutally attacked Palestinians in Gaza, killing tens of thousands of people, most of them civilians. Anger and animosity among Arab and Muslim populations in the U.S. and overseas have been exacerbated by this support, as the government continues to turn a blind eye to the suffering of the very people it purports to defend at home.

"Washington is not concerned about the suffering of the Palestinians and only pursues the interests of Israel," exclaimed Michael Casey, a former political deputy at the U.S. State Department's Office of Palestinian Affairs, who was outraged by Washington's double standard. Knowing full well that Israel's actions in Gaza are immoral, the American administration nevertheless caves to Israeli demands and backs the Israeli side. This is truly shameful. Many have taken offense to Biden's conduct and have begun to call him "Genocide Joe," a name that perfectly describes the duplicity of his administration's tactics.

Domestically, anti-Muslim violence and discrimination are on the rise, rendering the rhetoric of the Biden administration about fighting Islamophobia useless. The present president has failed to question the institutionalization of Islamophobia in the United States, which has grown since the Trump era. Trump has given far-right groups the confidence to spread anti-Muslim language, which was previously only heard on the fringes. A few examples of the broader societal problem include the increase in attacks on mosques, prejudice toward Muslims in places of employment and education, and violent acts. Political leaders and media personalities have contributed to a larger atmosphere of bigotry, of which these assaults are a symptom.

If anything, Biden's "Strategic Guide to Combating Islamophobia" is an empty gesture meant to appease detractors and divert attention away from the administration's genuine concerns rather than a serious effort to resolve these issues. The reality is that Muslim communities are still being further marginalized and plagued by the misery caused by the U.S. government's domestic and foreign policies. A tale of selective justice and participation in violence emerges from the administration's policies, in contrast to its rhetoric of freedom and opportunity for all. Biden is directly involved in the kind of state brutality that marginalizes Muslims globally and promotes enmity by consistently endorsing Israel's actions in Gaza.

The assertions made by the Biden administration on the protection of Muslims from hate crimes appear insincere when confronted with these contradictions. Past Islamophobic practices are still with us; we just need to rebrand them with a more politically correct label. Muslims and Arabs in the United States need real change, not just rhetoric. The government's policies and larger social forces that have been permitted to thrive have created an environment of systematic violence and prejudice, and it must stop. Any rhetoric about fighting Islamophobia will be meaningless and superficial till then.