Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) introduced a resolution on Thursday to commemorate the anniversary of the terrorist attack in Christchurch, New Zealand, in which 51 Muslims were killed in 2019, and to condemn the rise of Islamophobia around the world.
The bill, first seen by HuffPost, would be introduced on the first day of Ramadan, the holy month when Muslims around the world fast from dawn to dusk.
“As we begin the holy month of Ramadan, we must reaffirm that all people of faith have the right to worship without fear,” Omar told HuffPost in an emailed statement, noting that anti-Muslim hate crimes are at an all-time high. .
“The attack in Christchurch, motivated by the extremist ideology of white supremacy, anti-Muslim hatred, and the so-called replacement theory resonates deeply for Muslims in almost every corner of the world,” Omar’s statement read.
On March 15, 2019, Australian right-wing extremists stormed two mosques during Friday prayers and opened fire. He broadcast the first attack on Facebook and admitted to police that his plan was to target more worshipers at the third mosque.
The following year, the New Zealand government released a detailed report admitting that the country’s national security agencies have failed to take concerns about white supremacy and Islamophobia seriously.
“Today’s events are illustrated by many signs of what is to come, all visible and all ignored by those who have the power to act,” said one New Zealand Muslim quoted in the report.
In a manifesto before the attack, the Australian mass shooter named Norwegian terrorists who killed 77 people in a gun and bomb attack in 2011. Norwegian terrorists are also influenced by anti-Muslim extremists in the US and to his lawyer he saved his country from the Muslims.
In 2021, Omar and his friend Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) introduced a resolution asking Secretary of State Antony Blinken to make it special envoy to combat Islamophobia. The bill, titled the Combating International Islamophobia Act, passed the House in December but stalled in the Senate.
Last week, the United Nations celebrated its first International Day to Combat Islamophobia.
“We also know that this increase in hatred is not limited to Muslims. Church bombings, synagogue attacks, and racial crimes are also on the rise. To face religious evil and hatred, we must understand that all our destinies are connected,” said Omar.
“That’s why I’m proud to lead my colleagues in condemning the rise of Islamophobia and asserting the rights of religious minorities in the United States and around the world.”