U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing criticism for a new tattoo featuring the Arabic word “kafir,” meaning “infidel” or “disbeliever.” He revealed the tattoo in photos posted on his X account during a visit to the U.S. Navy’s SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team One at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Activists and experts have labeled the tattoo as Islamophobic. Palestinian activist Nerdeen Kiswani remarked that the tattoo, situated beneath Hegseth’s existing “Deus Vult” tattoo—a phrase associated with the Crusades—serves as a “clear symbol of Islamophobia from the man overseeing U.S. wars.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) also condemned the tattoo, describing it as indicative of “anti-Muslim hostility and personal insecurity.” CAIR emphasized that, as the leader of the U.S. military, Hegseth’s actions impact thousands of American Muslim service members committed to defending the nation.
This incident adds to previous controversies surrounding Hegseth. In December 2024, reports surfaced alleging that, while intoxicated at an Ohio bar in 2015, he shouted “kill all Muslims.”
