Interfaith Alliance Welcomes US National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia and Anti-Arab Hate

Interfaith Alliance, a national leader in defending religious freedom and multi-faith democracy, today welcomed the White House’s release of the first-ever U.S. National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia and Anti-Arab Hate. The announcement of a whole of government approach to combating this surging form of hatred is deeply necessary and sends a powerful signal that discrimination can never be tolerated against any vulnerable community or religious minority in our country.

Interfaith Alliance was built to defend the American ideal that all people, regardless of background or belief, have the right to live and worship safely in their communities. Yet Islamophobia and anti-Arab hate, much like antisemitism and other forms of targeted discrimination, works to harass, alienate and scapegoat a particular Americans, denying them their fundamental equality and rights as Americans.

“Interfaith Alliance is proud to represent the millions of Americans of diverse faiths and beliefs who are committed to standing firmly and proudly alongside their Muslim-American and Arab-American friends and neighbors to reject this bigotry – and to build powerful bridges of solidarity against it,” said Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, president and CEO of Interfaith Alliance. “As we approach the presidential transition, we can only hope, and will continue to insist, that the incoming administration upholds the vital commitments made by the Biden Administration today. No matter what, we will do everything in our power to ensure that Muslim Americans and Arab Americans feel safe, welcome, and equal across our country – that is what upholding true religious freedom looks like.”

Interfaith Alliance has worked for years to educate the public about the uniquely damaging impact of hate crimes and advocates for policy change to keep our communities safe. Earlier this year, the group partnered with the Southern Poverty Law Center to host the Interfaith Summit on Countering Hate in Montgomery, Alabama.
In 2023, Interfaith Alliance welcomed the Biden Administration’s launch of a national strategy to combat antisemitism, and released a new toolkit, “Mobilizing Against Antisemitism,” that was mentioned by the Administration as part of that strategy.

That year Interfaith Alliance also launched a comprehensive report, “Big Tech, Hate, and Religious Freedom Online”, that connects the dots between the First Amendment, our increasingly online lives, and the business practices that promote hate. In 2021, the organization released a toolkit, Partnering Against Hate, designed to train grassroots communities to combat hate and advance inclusivity at the local level.