.jpg "Pete Hegseth’s ‘Kafir’ Tattoo")
Unveiling CAIR’s Desperate Deflection from Islam’s Bloodstained History of Jihad and Terror
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has launched a scathing attack on U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth over his new tattoo of the Arabic word "kafir," meaning "infidel" or "nonbeliever," in a post on X dated March 27, 2025.
CAIR claims the
tattoo is a "sign of not only anti-Muslim hostility, but remarkable
personal insecurity," accusing Hegseth of being obsessed with Islam and
glorifying the Crusades, which they label as genocidal. They further assert
that Muslims don’t tattoo themselves with anti-Christian messages because they
are "secure in their own faith" and "respect the beliefs of
their neighbors." CAIR’s statement reeks of hypocrisy, historical
revisionism, and a deliberate attempt to deflect from Islam’s own troubling
legacy of violence, intolerance, and supremacist ideology as enshrined in its
texts. Let’s dismantle their claims piece by piece, exposing the facts they
conveniently ignore while reminding readers of the decades-long shadow Islam
has cast through terrorism, jihad, and a doctrine that explicitly calls for
violence against Christians and Jews.
CAIR’s Claim: The ‘Kafir’ Tattoo Signals Anti-Muslim
Hostility and Insecurity
CAIR’s assertion that Hegseth’s tattoo of "kafir" reflects anti-Muslim hostility and personal insecurity is a gross overreach. The term "kafir" is indeed Arabic for "infidel" or "nonbeliever," a label used in the Quran to describe those who reject Islam, often with derogatory connotations.
For example:
- Beheaded- 47:4 When you encounter the kafirs on the battlefield, cut off their heads until you have thor-oughly defeated them and then take the prisoners and tie them up firmly.
- The Koran defines the kafir and says that the kafir is hated (40:35), mocked (83:34), punished (25:77), beheaded (47:4), confused (6:25), plotted against (86:15), terrorized (8:12), annihilated (6:45), killed (4:91), crucified (5:33), made war on (9:29), ignorant (6:111), evil (23:97), disgraced (37:18), cursed (33:60), stolen from (Bukhari 5,59,537), raped (Ishaq 759) and a Muslim is not the friend of a kafir (3:28).
- "Erdogan’s words" demonstrate not only his complete intolerance for criticism and free speech, but also his hatred for non-Muslims, which Islamic scriptures refer to as “kafirs.”This was not the first time Erdogan publicly used the term “kafir.” On October 25, 2019, at another public event, Erdogan again used the term and openly incited violence against non-Muslims. During the Friday prayers at the Great Çamlıca Mosque in Istanbul, he told the congregants: Our God commands us to be violent towards the kuffar [infidels]. Who are we? The ummah [nation] of Mohammed. So [God] also commands us to be merciful to each other. So we will be merciful to each other. And we will be violent to the kuffar. Like in Syria."
Branding Jews and Christians who do not adhere to Islamic law as "kafir," a term of exclusion and condemnation. Hegseth, a devout Christian and military veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, is reclaiming a term that has been weaponized against non-Muslims, particularly by jihadist groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda, who use it to justify violence against "infidels."
X user @BrotherRasheed,Many Arabic platforms are making a big deal about the tattoo on the arm of U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth @PeteHegseth, which features the word Kafir—a term Muslims use to refer to non-Muslims, often in a derogatory manner. However, this word is widely recognized among military veterans, especially those who served in the Middle East, as a symbol of defiance against Islamic terrorists. It’s commonly seen on stickers, the backs of trucks, T-shirts, and mugs. Personally, I had it on a hat, a mug, and even on the door of my office.
CAIR’s claim of "personal insecurity" is a cheap
psychological jab with no evidence. Hegseth’s tattoos, including the
"kafir" ink and his "Deus Vult" (Latin for "God Wills
It") tattoo, reflect his Christian faith and military background, not an
obsession with Islam. Hegseth has over a dozen tattoos, many of which, like the
Jerusalem Cross on his chest, symbolize his Christian identity and patriotism. If anything, CAIR’s fixation on Hegseth’s body art
suggests they are the ones with an insecurity problem, unable to handle a
non-Muslim proudly asserting his identity in the face of a term Islam itself
uses to dehumanize others.
CAIR’s Claim: Hegseth’s Tattoo Glorifies the ‘Failed Crusaders’ and Their ‘Genocidal Acts’
CAIR attempts to smear Hegseth by linking his "Deus
Vult" tattoo to the Crusades, which they describe as "genocidal acts
of violence against Jews, Muslims, and even fellow Christians centuries
ago." While the Crusades (1095–1291) were indeed marked by violence,
including the 1099 massacre in Jerusalem where Crusaders killed Muslims, Jews,
and Eastern Christians, CAIR’s narrative is a one-sided distortion. The
Crusades were a response to centuries of Islamic aggression, including the conquest
of Christian lands in the Middle East, North Africa, and Spain, starting with
Muhammad’s campaigns in the 7th century. By the 11th century, Muslim forces had
captured Jerusalem, a holy city for Christians, and were harassing pilgrims.
The First Crusade was called by Pope Urban II in 1095 to reclaim these
territories and protect Christian populations, not to commit genocide (Madden,2005, The New Concise History of the Crusades).
CAIR conveniently ignores Islam’s own history of violence during this period. The Islamic conquests from 632 to 732 saw the rapid expansion of Muslim rule through military campaigns that subjugated Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians, often forcing them to convert, pay the jizya tax, or face death.
The Quran itself endorses such violence in Surah 9:29: "Fight
those who do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day and who do not consider
unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt
the religion of truth from those who were given the Scripture [Christians and
Jews]—[fight] until they give the jizyah willingly while they are
humbled." This verse explicitly calls for violence against Christians and
Jews unless they submit to Islamic dominance. CAIR’s attempt to paint the
Crusades as uniquely genocidal while ignoring Islam’s own history of conquest
and violence is intellectually dishonest.
CAIR’s Claim: Muslims Don’t Tattoo Opposition to Other
Religions Because They’re ‘Secure’ and ‘Respectful’
CAIR’s assertion that Muslims don’t tattoo themselves with
anti-Christian messages because they are "secure in their own faith"
and "respect the beliefs of their neighbors" is laughable given
Islam’s historical and doctrinal stance toward other religions. The Quran and
Hadith are replete with commands to fight and kill non-Muslims, particularly
Christians and Jews. Surah 9:5, known as the "Verse of the Sword,"
states, "And when the sacred months have passed, then kill the polytheists
wherever you find them and capture them and besiege them and sit in wait for
them at every place of ambush." While this verse primarily targets
polytheists, Islamic scholars like Ibn Kathir have interpreted it to include
Christians and Jews who reject Islam (Tafsir Ibn Kathir). The Hadith also fuels
this hostility. Sahih Muslim (Book 41, Hadith 6985) quotes Muhammad saying,
"The last hour would not come unless the Muslims will fight against the
Jews and the Muslims would kill them until the Jews would hide themselves
behind a stone or a tree and a stone or a tree would say: Muslim, or the
servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him."
This doctrine has manifested in centuries of violence, from
the early Islamic conquests to modern-day jihadist terrorism. The 21st century
alone has seen countless attacks by groups like Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and Boko Haram,
who often call themselves "martyrs" for dying in the name of jihad.
The 9/11 attacks in 2001, carried out by Al-Qaeda, killed nearly 3,000 people
in the name of Islam. ISIS’s campaign in Iraq and Syria from 2014 onward saw
the genocide of Yazidis, the enslavement of women, and the beheading of
Christians, all justified by their interpretation of Islamic texts (Wood, 2015,
The Atlantic). CAIR’s claim of "respect" for other beliefs is
undermined by this legacy of violence and the explicit intolerance in Islamic
scripture, which continues to inspire terrorism today.
As for tattoos, CAIR notes that "most Muslims do not
wear tattoos for religious reasons," citing Islamic teachings that
discourage body modification (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 77, Hadith 594). Yet,
their implication that this reflects moral superiority is absurd. Hegseth’s
tattoo is a personal expression of his identity, not a call to violence, unlike
the Quran’s commands to kill non-believers. CAIR’s attempt to shame Hegseth for
his tattoo while ignoring Islam’s own history of hostility toward other faiths
is a blatant double standard.
CAIR’s Claim: Hegseth Should Consider American Muslims in
the Military and Population
CAIR’s final point—that Hegseth should "keep in mind
that he leads the U.S. armed forces, which includes thousands of American
Muslims, and that he is sworn to defend the American people, who include
millions of American Muslims"—is a veiled threat, implying that Hegseth’s
tattoo makes him unfit to lead. This is a manipulative tactic to silence
criticism of Islam by invoking the presence of Muslims in the U.S. Hegseth’s
tattoo does not target American Muslims; it is a symbol of defiance against the
jihadist ideology that has killed thousands of Americans and others worldwide.
As Secretary of Defense, Hegseth has made counterterrorism a priority, focusing
on groups like the Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have attacked U.S. interests
(The Guardian, 2025). His tattoo reflects his resolve to confront this threat,
not to discriminate against Muslim Americans.
Moreover, CAIR’s own history raises questions about its
credibility to lecture on American values. CAIR has been criticized for its
ties to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization, and was named an unindicted
co-conspirator in the 2007 Holy Land Foundation trial, which uncovered funding
networks for Hamas (U.S. Department of Justice, 2008). While CAIR denies these
allegations, its history of defending controversial figures and causes,
including opposition to Hegseth’s nomination over his past statements on Islam,
suggests an agenda more aligned with protecting Islamist interests than
promoting genuine interfaith harmony (CAIR, 2025).
CAIR’s Disrespectful Tone on X
CAIR’s X post on March 27, 2025, doesn’t even address
Hegseth with his proper title, referring to him as "Pete Hegseth"
rather than "Secretary of Defense Hegseth," a subtle but telling sign
of disrespect for his position (CAIR National, 2025). This lack of decorum from
an organization claiming to champion "respect" further undermines
their moral posturing. If CAIR truly valued respect, they would address Hegseth
appropriately while engaging in substantive dialogue, not name-calling and
character assassination.
Conclusion: CAIR’s Outrage Is a Distraction from Islam’s
Violent Legacy
CAIR’s attack on Pete Hegseth’s "kafir" tattoo is
a hypocritical attempt to paint him as an Islamophobe while ignoring Islam’s
own history of violence, intolerance, and supremacist ideology. The Quran and
Hadith explicitly call for violence against Christians and Jews, a doctrine
that has fueled centuries of conquest and modern-day terrorism by groups like
Al-Qaeda and ISIS, who proudly call themselves "martyrs" for their
jihad. Hegseth’s tattoo is a personal expression of defiance against this
ideology, not an attack on American Muslims. CAIR’s outrage is a distraction, a
way to silence criticism of Islam while projecting a false image of victimhood.
It’s time to hold CAIR accountable for its double standards and confront the
real threat: the extremist ideology that continues to inspire violence in the
name of Islam.
Follow me on X All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them. -Galileo
Disclaimer & Sources, this article reflects sentiment and opinions, not necessarily facts. Sources, links, and views may not represent the author’s personal stance. and nothing in this article should be interpreted as such and or advice, legal advice. You have read the article and by reading the article you came to your own conclusions and used your own thoughts.
If you spot an error, please contact me promptly to correct it. ellenniedz@gmail.com rights of logos placed here are for recognition for the blind or eyesight problems on this blog. 😎 Be sure to click on all the Blue Links.
Sources:
- CAIR
National X Post, March 27, 2025: https://t.co/lmtK0QKnc0
- TRT
Global, "After Signalgate, Hegseth sparks uproar with 'Kafir'
(infidel) tattoo on arm," March 28, 2025: trt.global
- The
Daily Beast, "Pete Hegseth Sparks Outrage With Wild New Arabic
Tattoo," March 28, 2025: www.thedailybeast.com
- The
Guardian, "Pete Hegseth’s Arabic tattoo stirs controversy: ‘clear
symbol of Islamophobia’," March 27, 2025: www.theguardian.com
- Madden,
Thomas F., The New Concise History of the Crusades, 2005.
- Wood,
Graeme, "What ISIS Really Wants," The Atlantic, 2015.
- U.S.
Department of Justice, Holy Land Foundation Trial Documents, 2008.
- Quran
and Hadith translations from Sahih International and Sahih Muslim.
.jpg)
