US Senator accuses Trump’s government of growing Islamophobia

(MENAFN) US Senator Mark Warner spoke on Monday about the growing rise of religious discrimination and hate-fueled extremism in the country, directly criticizing the Trump administration for contributing to Islamophobia and anti-Arab sentiment. He took to the Senate floor to address what he called “the heartbreaking and anti-American rise in religious discrimination and hate fueled extremism, and to call particular attention to the ways this administration has fueled the flames of Islamophobia and anti-Arab hate.”

Warner specifically condemned the discrimination faced by Muslim and Arab American communities, stating, “I rise today to specifically condemn the discrimination our Muslim and Arab American communities are facing because, unfortunately, this president and his administration have openly stoked and institutionalized Islamophobic discrimination.” He cited recent remarks by President Donald Trump targeting people of Somali descent, in which the president allegedly referred to the community as “garbage” and claimed, “We don’t want them in our country.” Warner described these comments as “disgusting, dehumanizing, and un-American” and urged that public officials respond with strong condemnation.

The senator also criticized inflammatory rhetoric within Congress, noting that a fellow lawmaker had recently described Islam as “a poisonous religion” and claimed it was “fundamentally incompatible with our Western values.” Warner emphasized that elected officials have a responsibility to confront and reject such prejudice, saying, “All of us, but, especially those of us who serve in this body in public office, have a duty to end that silence and loudly and resolutely condemn Islamophobia and anti-Arab hate.”

With the holy month of Ramadan approaching, Warner called for renewed commitment to opposing bigotry and protecting religious freedoms, noting that the obligation to challenge discrimination extends “throughout the whole year”. He urged all Americans to “call out all forms of bigotry and discrimination against any religious community and to stand up for all our communities against injustice.”

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