VIRGINIA: Muslim State Senator pushing for bill that would classify “Islamophobia” as a physical assault crime

This bill is actually a “Blasphemy against Islam” law that would criminalize criticism of Islam as a hate crime, comparable to a physical assault on a Muslim. It would insert a formal definition of “Islamophobia” into Virginia’s existing “assault and battery” statute and require law enforcement to track any Americans who “disrespect Islam” in a database.

Post Millennial Virginia State Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim (D-Fairfax) has introduced Senate Bill 624, legislation that would define “Islamophobia” within Virginia’s assault laws and require law enforcement to track crimes allegedly motivated by anti-Islam bias. The bill would amend Virginia’s existing assault statute to recognize Islamophobia as “malicious prejudice or hatred directed toward Islam.” 

Critics have raised concerns that placing a state mandated definition of Islamophobia into state law could blur the line between first amendment protected criticism of Islam as a religion and violent acts motivated by an anti-Muslim hatred or bias.

Some view this as a foray into a more radical Islamic rule. Georgia congressman Clay Fuller blasted the bill on X:

The bill “directs the Department of State Police, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, to include the bill’s definition of ‘Islamophobia’ in its hate crime reporting central repository.”

 

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