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Pingree, House Pass Bill to Combat Global Rise of Islamophobia

The Combating International Islamophobia Act addresses the rise in incidents of anti-Muslim bigotry worldwide

 WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) last night joined the House of Representatives in passing the Combating International Islamophobia Act, which aims to address the rise in Islamophobia worldwide by requiring the State Department to create a Special Envoy for combating Islamophobia and include state-sponsored anti-Muslim violence in the Department’s annual human rights record.

“Earlier this year, a United Nations Human Rights Council report found that 67 percent of Muslims reported personally experiencing Islamophobia, and concluding that anti-Muslim hate has reached ‘epidemic proportions.’ This is beyond unacceptable. Last night, the House acted swiftly to create a Special Envoy help policymakers better understand the global problem of anti-Muslim bigotry and to root out and combat Islamophobic sentiment worldwide,” said Pingree. “As a nation founded on religious liberty, America must stand up for its values and stamp out all forms of religious bigotry.”

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