“A bill to establish in the Department of State the Office to Monitor and Combat Islamophobia, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section establishes within the Department of State, not later than 120 days after enactment, an Office to Monitor and Combat Islamophobia headed by a Special Envoy appointed by the Secretary of State (who may be an existing officer or employee retaining prior responsibilities). The office coordinates and assists in preparing specified portions of existing annual reports—under sections 116(d)(9) and 502B(k) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (i.e., country human rights reports) and section 102(b)(1)(A)(viii) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (i.e., the annual international religious freedom report)—to assess and describe acts of Islamophobia and Islamophobic incitement in foreign countries; monitors and combats such acts; and consults with nongovernmental and multilateral organizations as appropriate.
This section directs the Department of State to include, wherever applicable, descriptions of the nature and extent of acts of Islamophobia and Islamophobic incitement in foreign countries during the preceding year in three annual reports. Specifically, it (1) adds a new paragraph (13) to the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices required under section 116(d) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151n(d)), (2) adds a new subsection (k) to the human rights reports for countries receiving U.S. security assistance required under section 502B(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act (22 U.S.C. 2304), and (3) adds a new clause (viii) to the Annual Report on International Religious Freedom required under section 102(b)(1)(A) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6412(b)(1)(A)). Each description must cover acts of physical violence, harassment, or vandalism against Muslim communities or institutions (e.g., mosques, schools, cemeteries); propaganda inciting such acts; government responses; enactment and enforcement of religious freedom laws protecting Muslims; and anti-bias/tolerance education efforts. (As background, these human rights reports inform Congress's oversight of foreign assistance eligibility, which bars aid to governments with gross violations of internationally recognized human rights—such as torture or prolonged detention without charges—unless it benefits needy people.) The amendments apply 180 days after enactment.