White House insists Islamophobia strategy ‘genuine’ effort amid tensions

The White House is adamant its Islamophobia strategy is a “genuine” attempt to respond to anti-Muslim discrimination and hate crimes despite its release amid the Israel-Hamas war.

President Joe Biden and his administration take Islamophobia “seriously,” according to White House national security spokesman John Kirby after he was asked about how some members of the Muslim community are questioning the timing.

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“This strategy is born from a genuine desire to go after the kind of hate in America that could lead to real threats of violence against real people, our fellow citizens, who are of the Muslim faith or in the Arab community and Palestinian community,” Kirby told reporters Thursday. “[Biden] has said time after time after time that that kind of hate has no place.”

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Kirby added that the “thinking” behind the strategy is “long-standing and predates the events of Oct. 7,” the date of Hamas‘s terrorist attack on Israel, which has escalated tensions in the region and around the world.

“We value their opinion, we value their perspective, especially if it’s a contrary perspective or they feel it’s a contrary perspective, that’s valuable,” he said. “As we embrace the effort to develop this strategy, we’re absolutely going to reach out to folks all across the country, from all different perspectives, particularly in the Muslim community, to get their views. That’ll be important; that will inform our work.”

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White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre amplified Kirby, emphasizing the interagency task force Biden established last year to deal with “antisemitism, Islamophobia, and related forms of bias and discrimination.” That group published its antisemitism strategy last spring.

“This is the president’s commitment,” she said. “He ran on this, as you all know, to restore the soul of this nation, to make sure that no hate sees the light of day, to continue to fight against that type of hatred, and that includes all kinds, all types of hatred, that includes Islamophobia.”