The Secretary of Defense of the United States, Pete Hegseth, has once again generated the controversy and the reaction about his new tattoo that spells.Kafir‘(Infidel), which many say it is Islamophobic, several international media reported on Friday.
Hegseth posted photos in his X account where he joined the team of the US marine seals delivery. UU. On a base in Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on Wednesday. One of the photos showed a new tattoo on his arm that reads’Kafir‘, which according to the Turkish departure World TRT It is the Arabic word for Infidel or incredulous.
Activists and experts have argued that tattoo is an Islamophobic symbol of man who supervises the United States army.
“Hegseth has just had a Kafir Tattoo under his Deus Vult Tattoo: a cross slogan. This is not just a personal choice; It is a clear symbol of Islamophobia of the man who supervises US wars, ”said Nerdeen Kiswani, a Palestinian activist in X.
“Kafir“” It has been armed by Islamophobos of the extreme right to make fun and vilify the Muslims, “he added.” It is not about their personal beliefs. This is how these beliefs are translated into policies: how to shape military decisions, surveillance programs and foreign interventions aimed at Muslim countries. “
The writer Tam Hussain said that the tattoo “was not a good look” for Hegesh, mainly when the term was used in the Qur’an to refer to someone who rejects God.
“For the Muslim world, the tattoo will be seen as an open statement of Hegseth’s enmity towards them, which will be confirmed by the bombardment of a hospital in Yemen,” said Hussain in X.
‘Antimusulman hostility’
The American-Islamic Relations Council (Cair) in a statement denounced the new tattoo, describing it as “a sign of anti-musulmanal hostility and personal insecurity.”
“Tattoo the Arabic word Kafir -That essentially refers to a person who hides or denies fundamental and divine truths, in his body it is a sign of anti-musulmanal hostility and personal insecurity, ”said Nihad Awad, National Executive Director of CAIR, in the statement, according to the statement USA today.
“It seems that Islam lives so free of rent in Pete Hegseth’s head that he feels the need to select with tattoos declaring his opposition to Islam along with a tattoo that declares his affinity for the failed crusaders.”
The Council said that while Hegesh can tattoo everything he wants, he must take into account that he directs the United States army, where thousands of American Muslims swore defend the country.
“American Muslims are not seen running with tattoos that declare their opposition to Christianity because we are sure in our own faith, we respect the beliefs of our neighbors and, in any case, most Muslims do not use tattoos for religious reasons,” Cair added.
Previous controversies
This is not the first time that Hegesh has generated controversy and reaction, especially from Muslims.
On December 1, 2024, The New Yorker He published a report that went through the past controversies of Hegseth. One of them cited a complaint of the employees worried about veterans for the United States, who said Hegseth screamed “killing all Muslims” while he was drunk in a bar in Ohio in 2015.
World TRT He informed that Hegseth was once lower scrutiny due to his’Deus Bult‘Tattoo – Latin for “God will fly” – which says it is a slogan used as a shout of battle for the crusaders while “committed acts of genocide against Muslims and Jews.”
The departure reported that Hegseth also has a tattoo of the Jerusalem cross. “That cross has a long history in Christianity, but it has recently been co -opted by some extreme right groups as a symbol of the struggle for Western civilization.” World TRT wrote.
The criticism of tattoo occurs at a time of greater scrutiny for the Secretary of Defense, The guardian reported. The members of the Congress in the US.
