Shafaq News/ Two American researchers, Sadaf Jaffer, and Freshta Taeb, have criticized U.S. President Joe Biden, accusing him of devaluing the lives of Arabs and Muslims due to his support for Israel amid the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.
In an article published on "The Hill," the researchers expressed their deep concern about Biden's stance, which they believe reflects a lack of regard for the human rights of Muslims.
Jaffer, a South Asian studies lecturer at Princeton University, and Taeb, a member of the American-Afghan Foundation, said in the article, " Yet the Biden administration's response to this tragic violence indicates that the president does not equally value Muslim lives, or those of Arabs who find themselves lumped in with Muslims. What did the 2,600 dead Palestinian children do to have their futures violently snatched from them? Does our government simply label them as terrorists and disposable? Why doesn't President Biden care enough for them to stop the horror when the power is fully in his hands? It is difficult to put into words the sorrow and pain we and our communities feel seeing the scale of suffering compared to the Biden administration's indifference."
"We can only draw one heartbreaking conclusion: The Biden administration doesn't see Muslims for our full humanity."
The researchers highlighted America's history of engaging in large-scale wars in Muslim-majority countries post-September 11, resulting in significant civilian casualties and long-lasting trauma. They criticized Biden's discriminatory approach, comparing his response to conflicts in different regions, and pointed out his abrupt withdrawal from Afghanistan, which they deemed as another example of his disregard for Muslim lives.
"This is not new to us. In the years after 9/11, the Bush administration dragged the United States into two large-scale wars in predominantly Muslim countries on shaky pretenses, without regard for the horrific loss of civilian life and destruction that would ensue. Half a million civilians have been killed in those wars, with many millions more injured and whose lives are changed forever. That suffering hardly seems to register in the U.S. but will be felt for generations."
"And we all know why no one cares — because Muslim lives have had little value to our policymakers. Many American Muslims supported the Democratic Party over the last two decades because we hoped a Democratic president would see the humanity of people like us, but we've been sorely disappointed with President Biden's continued apathy." The article said.
"This isn't the first time President Biden has displayed disregard for Muslim lives. It was shocking to see the callous way he handled and bungled the withdrawal from Afghanistan, while claiming that "Afghans forces are not willing to fight for themselves." This denied the reality that in addition to 2,300 U.S. military deaths in Afghanistan, 66,000 Afghans lost their lives fighting alongside American forces over the course of 20 years. President Biden displayed no appreciation for those sacrifices. Two years later, the haphazard withdrawal has left many dedicated Afghan allies in the United States to try to survive in limbo with no legal status in place."
"To American Muslims, this cuts us to the core. Most of us voted for and supported President Biden because we believed his campaign promises of equality. But bombing people, callously disregarding their futures and leaving them to death and devastation that he would never wish upon European nations illustrates the racist logic that underpins his current policy."
They called on the Biden administration to regain the trust of Muslims, urging fair treatment and equal recognition of their rights and aspirations. They emphasized the need for a more balanced approach, emphasizing the humanity of Muslims worldwide.