January 14, 2020

On January 13, President Trump shared a tweet which depicted Sens. Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi in Islamic garb in order to “send the message that Democrats are on the side of terrorists.” We condemn both Trump’s tweet and the White House’s defense. The message coming from the Executive problematically conflates anti-war sentiment with support for terrorists. It does so by pathologizing the appearance of Muslims, an all-too familiar trope that is fundamental to both Islamophobia and anti-Muslim bigotry. 

Not only is the Trump administration’s latest act of Islamophobia dangerous, it obscures the realities of the American Muslim community. For starters, Muslims are the most ethnically diverse faith community in America. Amertican Muslims are teachers, lawyers, doctors, engineers, and make up a significant portion of this nation’s middle and working classes. American Muslims are as core a constituency as any to this country, and deserve far better than this administration’s latest indignity. 

For over 30 years now, we have been committed to improving this country’s perception of the American Muslim community through our media and policy work. The White House’s defense of blatant Islamophobia only strengthens our commitment to this founding purpose.