Following new social media pictures that revealed an Persian scar that reads “kafir,” which means “infidel” or “non-believer,” it was criticized quickly by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, calling it a controversial image associated with anti-Muslim attitude.
Hegseth’s photos posted on social media app X earlier this year clearly show the contentious tattoo. The Arabic word” Kafir” is used in Islamic philosophy to describe people who reject or reject Muslim ideas. But, opponents claim that far-right, anti-Muslim organizations have increasingly coopted the term to ridicule and sabotage Muslim communities.
Nerdeen Kiswani, a pro-Palestinian activist based in New York, criticized the scar as more than just a personal appearance. This isn’t just a specific choice; it’s a clear sign of Islamophobia from the US’s commander of war, according to Kiswani, adding that the metaphor may have harmful effects on US military operations and foreign policy in Muslim-majority areas.
The tattoo was described as” a display of both anti-Muslim hostility and personal insecurity,” according to Nihad Awad, Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations ( CAIR ). Awad added that the defense secretary’s use of the term raises questions about possible bias in important defense decisions that affect Sunni populations both domestically and internationally.
Hegseth’s tattoos are not the first to cause discussion. Prior to this, he was criticized for his tattoos that made references to Crusader imagery, such as” Deus Vult “—Latin for” God Wills It,” a famous battle cry used during the Christian Crusades against Muslim territories. These tattoos, in addition to the most recent discovery, have heightened concerns among campaigning groups about the Department of Defense’s leadership’s use of Islamophobia.
In response to Congress ‘ ongoing inquiries into the new Signal leak involving functional details of US military activities in Yemen, calls for responsibilities and an investigation have gotten louder. In response to the growing controversy, some congressional members have already requested Hegseth’s resignation.
