![]() While Muslims welcome a firm stance against bigotry, many Muslims fear that the vague bill could be misused by Islamists, who could pull the Islamophobia card against opponents of blasphemy and apostasy laws, and even use it to justify violence in the name of “standing against haters of Islam.” I am a Muslim and strongly agree with Masih Alinejad in her objection of the Islamophobia bill. As Masih Alinejad highlighted, the bill does not provide a clear definition of Islamophobia or differentiates between what constitutes hate against Muslims and what is a fair and appropriate criticism of oppressive ideologies and regimes. Omar’s bill on Islamophobia shows a distinct lack of clarity, and is a glaring example of vagueness. What both Ani Osman-Zonneveld and Masih Alinejad wanted was clarity from the Muslim Congresswoman on thorny topics that affect Muslims, such as Islamophobia versus Islamism and the barbaric practice of FGM, but asking for clarity, it seems, is considered offensive to Ilhan Omar and her fan club. ![]() She suggested that FGM had become a particular litmus test for Muslim-elected officials, one that makes assumptions about their religious and cultural identities ![]() Omar replied that the question was “appalling” and “frustrating” and that she was “quite disgusted” by it. In 2019, Omar snapped at another Muslim Human Rights advocate, Ani Osman-Zonneveld, who urged Omar to state her views on female genital mutilation (FGM). Rep. It is hard to imagine that a progressive member of Congress, a fellow woman of colour, and her husband, would be hostile to a fellow Muslim fighting against oppressive practices of Islamists. In 2020, Omar shared a defamatory article about Masih on social media by a Koch Brothers-funded “think tank” co-founded by a known sympathizer of the Iranian regime. This was not the first time Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has shown hostility toward Masih Alinejad. The bill requires the State Department to include data on incidents of Islamophobia in its reports on human rights. Omar’s Islamophobia bill, which was adopted by the US House of Representatives, mandates the creation of a State Department office to combat Islamophobia around the world. The Congresswoman’s office responded to Masih’s article by accusing the Iranian journalist of “rehashing bigoted Republican talking points.” When Muslim-born Iranian journalist and women’s rights campaigner Masih Alinejad wrote why she opposed a bill against Islamophobia introduced by US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, Mr Tim Mynett, Omar’s husband, a political consultant, immediately tweeted that “this lady” (Masih) did not like Muslims.īesides this offensive tweet, Masih Alinejad was dismissed by Rep. “So this lady doesn’t want to combat Islamophobia,” “she just doesn’t like Muslims.”
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