Explained: What is the US's new 'national strategy' to combat Islamophobia

The White House has introduced a new national strategy to combat Islamophobia—a first-of-its-kind plan aimed at tackling anti-Muslim and anti-Arab hate, which has surged in recent months.

The 64-page strategy outlines over 100 steps for federal action to address discrimination, violence and bias, while promoting unity and cross-community solidarity.

The initiative builds on a similar strategy to combat anti-Semitism unveiled by President Joe Biden in May 2023.

However, critics argue the timing and content may fall short of addressing the deeper causes of anti-Muslim bigotry in the US.

Key goals of the strategy

The strategy has four basic priorities: increasing awareness of hatred against Muslims and Arabs while more widely recognising these communities' heritages; broadly improving their safety and security; appropriately accommodating Muslim and Arab religious practices by working to curb discrimination against them; and encouraging cross-community solidarity to further counter hate.

"While individuals have sometimes been targeted because they are thought to be Muslim, it is also crucial to recognise that Arabs are routinely targeted simply for being who they are," the announcement of the strategy states, noting that Muslims and Arab Americans have helped build out the nation since its founding.

It says that new data collection and education efforts are "increasing awareness of these forms of hate as well of the proud heritages of Muslim and Arab Americans".

The plan also commits to improving hate crime reporting systems, enforcing anti-discrimination laws in federally funded programmes, and calling on state, local and international bodies to adopt similar measures.

Spike in hate crimes

The release of the strategy comes against the backdrop of rising anti-Muslim hate crimes, exacerbated by recent global conflicts, particularly Israel's war in Gaza.

A tragic example was the October 2023 murder of six-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoume, a Palestinian-American boy stabbed to death in Illinois, which highlighted the growing threats faced by Muslim and Arab communities.

President Biden condemned such acts as "heinous" and emphasised that "Muslims and Arabs deserve to live with dignity and enjoy every right to the fullest extent along with all of their fellow Americans".

Discrimination and attacks against Muslims and Palestinians in the US surged by about 70 percent in the first half of 2024, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

The sharp rise coincided with Israel's war in Gaza, which the advocacy group said has fuelled anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian sentiment.

CAIR reported receiving 4,951 complaints related to such incidents in the first six months of the year, compared to significantly lower numbers during the same period in 2023.

'Too little, too late'

The strategy has, however, faced backlash from some advocacy groups.

CAIR criticised it as "too little, too late", citing a lack of changes to federal programmes such as the controversial watchlists and "no-fly" lists that disproportionately target Muslim and Arab Americans.

They also pointed to the administration's unwavering support for Israel in its war on Gaza as a driver of anti-Muslim hate.

The Arab American Institute's Jim Zogby welcomed the inclusion of anti-Arab hate but expressed concern that the incoming administration might disregard the strategy.

With President-elect Donald Trump set to take office, some of his previous policies—like the Muslim travel ban—cast doubt on the longevity of Biden's initiative.

The Trump transition team had no immediate comment on the strategy or whether it would support it.