CAPAC Condemns Anti-Muslim, Xenophobic Rhetoric from Republican Elected Officials
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) issued the following statement in response to an increase in anti-Muslim and xenophobic rhetoric by elected officials at all levels of government:
“Over the past several weeks, Republican Members of Congress and local elected officials across the country have actively spread vile, anti-Muslim, and xenophobic rhetoric that puts millions of innocent people at risk. Some have called for the ‘expulsion of Muslims from western nations;’ the ‘revocation of citizenship’ of Muslim Americans; and gone so far as to say that Islam is ‘incompatible with our culture and our governing system.’ These statements are deplorable, dangerous, and disqualifying for any elected official. CAPAC condemns them in the strongest possible terms.
“Calls to target Muslims through deportation or denaturalization are as hateful as they are un-American. Normalizing Islamophobic behavior and rhetoric gives license to the racist fearmongering that has long endangered Muslim American and South Asian communities.
“Earlier this year, the United Nations warned that Islamophobia has reached ‘epidemic proportions’ worldwide. The United States is no exception, with a 238% increase in anti-Muslim and anti-South Asian slurs leading up to the New York City mayoral election.
“At a time when Islamophobia is on the rise, we cannot allow anti-Muslim hate to become normalized. We cannot allow xenophobic rhetoric to go unanswered. CAPAC stands with the Muslim American community and calls on elected leaders at all levels of government to condemn Islamophobia.”
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About the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC):
Founded in 1994, the bicameral Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus is composed of 83 members of Congress who advocate on behalf of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities. The Caucus is led by Congresswoman Grace Meng, who was elected CAPAC Chair in 2024.