Faceoff: ‘Islamophobia’ bill passed in US evokes clashing opinions

NEW DELHI: The US House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to approve a Democratic proposal for a US State Department office to address ‘anti-Muslim bias’ worldwide.

A group of over 30 American lawmakers led by Congresswoman

Ilhan Omar

had introduced a bill in the House of Representatives in October this year.


The bill aims to create a special envoy for monitoring and combating ‘Islamophobia’ and alleged state-sponsored anti-Muslim violence in the department's annual human rights reports.

The creation of the Special Envoy will help policymakers better understand the interconnected, global problem of ‘anti-Muslim bigotry’, the group of over 30 lawmakers said.


Republicans, on the other hand, denounced the bill, calling it rushed and partisan, and voted against it.

Republican Rep. Scott Perry, of Pennsylvania, referred to Omar as anti-Semitic and implied that she has ties to terrorist organizations.

Much like the US House, not everyone on social media was convinced with the need to introduce and pass such a bill.

While a section of Twitter agreed that there were indeed sporadic incidents of ‘anti-Muslim bias’ in the west, there were others who argued that people of all religions in the world are subjected to such prejudice globally.


‘Islamophobia is wrong’


‘Omar is a big anti-semite’


‘Religious bigotry is shameful’


‘Islamophobia is a made up word’


‘Bill is a powerful rebuke to bigots’


‘Disagree with criminalising Islamophobia’


‘Our priorities are not clear’


‘Muslims deserve to feel safe’


Meanwhile, Indian netizens too gave their two cents



‘Naming Islamism is not Islamophobia’


Starking difference


‘Islamophobia and antisemitism are both realities’