Rep. Ilhan Omar helped lead a call from more than two dozen members of Congress for the State Department to create a special envoy to fight Islamophobia, citing a rise in attacks against Muslims worldwide.
"We must all stand united against this horrific rise in hate," Omar said, adding that she is also working on legislation "to formalize this position."
The group of Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week that urged him to develop a U.S. strategy for combating Islamophobia around the world.
They also want the State Department's annual human rights reports to start including details on "state sponsored Islamophobic violence and impunity for Islamophobic violence."
"It is past time for the United States to stand firmly in favor of religious freedom for all, and to give the global problem of Islamophobia the attention and prioritization it deserves," wrote the lawmakers.
Omar was joined by fellow Minnesota delegation member Rep. Dean Phillips in signing the letter, which followed a new report from the Council on American Islamic Relations that documented more than 500 complaints of hate crimes against Muslims in 2021 and surging vandalism and acts of violence targeting mosques in recent months.
