Latest news with #DeusVult
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Homeland Security hits back at claims ICE agent at Martha's Vineyard has ‘white supremacist' tattoo
The Department of Homeland Security has hit back at claims that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent has a 'white supremacist' tattoo after footage circulated online during an arrest operation in Martha's Vineyard. An ICE officer was spotted on the Massachusetts island last week with what appeared to be a Valknot tattoo, a Nordic symbol of the god Odin. Charlie Giordano confronted the ICE agents and posted the footage on Instagram, the Martha's Vineyard Times first reported. 'When reviewing the images I made of 'ICE Agents' on Martha's Vineyard yesterday, I noticed several had the 'Valknot' tattooed on their arms,' Giordano posted on Instagram. 'It's a symbol often used by white supremacy groups.' DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin characterized the claim as a 'smear' in a post on X Tuesday and said the officer was 'a combat veteran.' 'His tattoo is a tribute to fallen warriors —a pretty common tattoo in the military among combat veterans who embrace the Nordic Viking warrior culture,' McLaughlin said. 'Attempting to smear this ICE officer and pretend his tattoo is meant to be a tribute to White Supremacy is false, pathetic, and insulting to veterans.' The symbol has been appropriated by white supremacists, the Anti-Defamation League says on its website. 'Some white supremacists, particularly racist Odinists, have appropriated the Valknot to use as a racist symbol.' However, the organization also noted that 'non-racist pagans may also use this symbol,' so it should be 'carefully examine[d] it in context rather than assume that a particular use of the symbol is racist.' Jacob Chansley, dubbed the 'QAnon Shaman' for his role in 'spearheading' the January 6 Capitol riot, has the symbol tattooed on his chest. ICE acknowledged the symbol had been 'co-opted by racist organizations,' according to the Martha's Vineyard Times, but a spokesperson said that the agent is 'absolutely not connected with white supremacism in any way.' According to the outlet, an ICE spokesperson said that the officer had the tattoo before joining the agency, and that he was a combat veteran. Last week agents arrested 40 people on the popular vacation island, which has a large Brazilian population. The incident surrounding the agent's tattoo follows previous concern over Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's 'Christian motto' tattoo, which some perceived as a white nationalist dog whistle. Hegseth, an Army National Guard veteran, has the words 'Deus Vult' tattooed on his bicep, which has been associated with white supremacist groups. 'Deus Vult' is a Latin phrase meaning 'God Wills It,' and was a rallying cry for Christian crusaders in the Middle Ages. Vice President JD Vance said the uproar over the tattoo was 'disgusting anti-Christian bigotry' at the time.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pete Hegseth slammed over Arabic tattoo: ‘Clear symbol of Islamophobia'
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is being slammed for a recently spotted Arabic tattoo on his right bicep, which critics argue is Islamophobic. Observers noticed the tattoo when Hegseth worked out alongside service members at a military base in Hawaii this week. The design features the Arabic word kafir, a religious term for a non-believer or someone 'who knowingly conceals or denies fundamental, divine truths,' according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which previously advocated against Hegseth's nomination. The advocacy group argued that the tattoo, located next to Hegseth's tattoo of 'Deus Vult,' a slogan once used by Christian crusaders and now sometimes associated with white supremacist groups, 'is a sign of both anti-Muslim hostility and personal insecurity.' 'Leadership demands respect for all, not divisive gestures,' the group's national executive director, Nihad Awad, wrote on X. 'Mocking beliefs, especially as a public figure, is not strength—it's immaturity. We deserve better.' Pro-Palestine activist Nerdeen Kiswani took a similar tack, arguing the tattoo was 'a clear symbol of Islamophobia from the man overseeing U.S. wars.' 'It's not about his personal beliefs,' she wrote on X. 'It's about how these beliefs translate into policy – how they shape military decisions, surveillance programs, and foreign interventions targeting Muslim countries.' The Independent has contacted the Defense Department for comment. Hegseth appears to have had the tattoo since at least 2024. During his confirmation process, Hegseth faced criticism over the 'Deus Vult' tattoo, which the administration has described as a benign 'Christian motto.' Hegesth has previously dismissed the existence of extremism within the military, and slammed what his lawyer called 'outlandish claims' in a New Yorker story that he drunkenly yelled 'Kill all Muslims!' at a bar in 2015 Prior to Hegseth being nominated, the former national guardsmen was kept off duty at Joe Biden's inauguration over concerns about his tattoos, some of which feature symbols that have been used by far-right groups.
The Independent
28-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Pete Hegseth slammed over Arabic tattoo: ‘Clear symbol of Islamophobia'
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is being slammed for a recently spotted Arabic tattoo on his right bicep, which critics argue is Islamophobic. Observers noticed the tattoo when Hegseth worked out alongside service members at a military base in Hawaii this week. The design features the Arabic word kafir, a religious term for a non-believer or someone 'who knowingly conceals or denies fundamental, divine truths,' according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which previously advocated against Hegseth's nomination. The advocacy group argued that the tattoo, located next to Hegseth's tattoo of ' Deus Vult,' a slogan once used by Christian crusaders and now sometimes associated with white supremacist groups, 'is a sign of both anti-Muslim hostility and personal insecurity.' 'Leadership demands respect for all, not divisive gestures,' the group's national executive director, Nihad Awad, wrote on X. 'Mocking beliefs, especially as a public figure, is not strength—it's immaturity. We deserve better.' Pro-Palestine activist Nerdeen Kiswani took a similar tack, arguing the tattoo was 'a clear symbol of Islamophobia from the man overseeing U.S. wars.' 'It's not about his personal beliefs,' she wrote on X. 'It's about how these beliefs translate into policy – how they shape military decisions, surveillance programs, and foreign interventions targeting Muslim countries.' The Independent has contacted the Defense Department for comment. Hegseth appears to have had the tattoo since at least 2024. During his confirmation process, Hegseth faced criticism over the 'Deus Vult' tattoo, which the administration has described as a benign 'Christian motto.' Hegesth has previously dismissed the existence of extremism within the military, and slammed what his lawyer called 'outlandish claims' in a New Yorker story that he drunkenly yelled 'Kill all Muslims!' at a bar in 2015 Prior to Hegseth being nominated, the former national guardsmen was kept off duty at Joe Biden's inauguration over concerns about his tattoos, some of which feature symbols that have been used by far-right groups.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pete Hegseth Sparks Outrage With Wild New Arabic Tattoo
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth quietly debuted a new tattoo this week while posting a set of workout photos, sparking fierce backlash among critics who claim it holds a distinctly anti-Muslim message. Eagle-eyed social media users spotted the ink on the underside of Hegseth's bicep after he posted photos of himself exercising with soldiers at a military base in Hawaii. The tattoo is the Arabic word 'kafir,' which translates to 'disbeliever' or 'infidel.' Critics say that it clearly brands Hegseth, who is a devout Christian, as an enemy of Islam. It remains unclear when he got the new ink—but the symbol does not appear in photos of Hegseth as recently as several months ago. 'Hegseth just got a kafir (كافر) tattoo under his Deus Vult tattoo—a Crusader slogan,' wrote pro-Palestinian activist Nerdeen Kiswani, who is Muslim. 'It isn't just a personal choice; it's a clear symbol of Islamophobia from the man overseeing U.S. wars.' The latin phrase 'Deus Vult,' which also appears on Hegseth's bicep, means 'God wills it.' It is associated with the First Crusade, which saw 11th-century European Christians try to reclaim the Holy Land from Muslims. Many of Hegseth's tattoos relate to Christianity and American patriotism. 'To the Muslim world the tattoo will be seen as an open declaration of Hegseth's enmity towards them,' wrote journalist Tam Hussein. British journalist Dilly Hussain, meanwhile, wrote, 'Muslims should not be offended or shocked at Pete Hegseth's new 'kafir' tattoo or his crusader 'Deus Vult' tattoo. He's merely displaying America's foreign policy and mindset to Islam and Muslims.' However, user @BrotherRasheed defended Hegseth's tattoo as a common 'symbol of defiance against Islamic terrorists' among U.S. veterans who have served in the Middle East. 'It's commonly seen on stickers, the backs of trucks, T-shirts, and mugs,' the account wrote. 'Personally, I had it on a hat, a mug, and even on the door of my office.' Hegseth did tours in both Afghanistan and Iraq. He has made killing terrorists—largely in Muslim countries—a key goal in the early days of his tenure as defense secretary. The Pentagon did not answer the Daily Beast's request for comment on Hegseth's tattoo. The controversy comes on the heels of another scandal involving Hegseth. The defense secretary shared operational details about an imminent strike targeting terrorists in Yemen on a group chat which inadvertently included a prominent journalist: Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg. Hegseth has insisted that no classified details or 'war plans' were shared, despite accounts to the contrary. Hegseth has more than a dozen tattoos, the most notorious of which is the Jerusalem Cross on his chest. The symbol is associated with Christian nationalists, and it got Hegseth, who was part of the National Guard, kicked off duty at Joe Biden's inauguration in 2021. 'Members of my unit in leadership deemed that I was an extremist or a white nationalist because of a tattoo I have, which is a religious tattoo,' Hegseth told Fox News last June, explaining how he felt it was misconstrued. His body also features a cross with a sword through it, which is an allusion to a bible verse, and 'We the people'—the words that begin the preamble to the Constitution—among others. Hegseth explained in a 2020 interview that he got his first tattoo when he was around 37 or 38. He had always wanted one, but his father had stopped him when he was younger. Since then, Hegseth, who is 44, has been on a roll, adding one after the other. 'I knew inside my soul this was something I wanted to do and I've finally hit the chapter in my life that I'm able to do it,' he said. Hegseth added that an upside of the ink is that people 'know were I stand. I wear my views on my sleeve anyway.'
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pastor with ties to Pete Hegseth claimed slavery promoted ‘affection between the races' in South
The pastor of an evangelical church with ties to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth once claimed slavery promoted 'affection between the races' in the South. Doug Wilson, founder of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), wrote in his 1996 book Southern Slavery: As It Was, that there had 'never been a multi-racial society which has existed with such mutual intimacy and harmony in the history of the world.' Hegseth's church, Pilgrim Hill Reformed Fellowship outside Nashville, Tennessee, is a member of CREC, according to Tennessee Lookout, which has congregations in nearly all 50 states and several foreign countries. 'Slavery as it existed in the South was not an adversarial relationship with pervasive racial animosity,' Wilson wrote in his book. 'There has never been a multi-racial society which has existed with such mutual intimacy and harmony in the history of the world. The credit for this must go to the predominance of Christianity.' He added that 'in spite of the evils contained in the system, we cannot overlook the benefits of slavery for both blacks and whites. 'Slavery produced in the South a genuine affection between the races that we believe we can say has never existed in any nation before the War or since.' Wilson attempted to defend his writings in a 2020 blog post titled 'Not That Simple,' in which he claimed the passages had been taken out of context. 'Would I want to recast or disavow or explain or contextualize or modify certain views expressed as excerpted from SSAIW? The short answer is yes, I would,' he wrote. The pastor also admitted that there were "abuses" under slavery, but maintained that "the benevolent master is not a myth." The Independent has reached out to representatives from Christ Church, in Idaho, for comment on Wilson's past statements. The Independent has also reached out to representatives for Hegseth for comment about Wilson's work, and the Defense Secretary's association to his church. The former Fox News host-turned-government head has also experienced backlash over the perception of his faith and subsequent views. Last year, prior to his confirmation as Defense Secretary, concerns were raised over one of his tattoos, with opinion divided over whether it was a 'Christian motto' or a white nationalist dog whistle. Hegseth, an Army National Guard veteran, has the words 'Deus Vult' tattooed on his bicep, which has been associated with white supremacist groups. "Deus Vult" is a Latin phrase meaning "God Wills It," and was a rallying cry for Christian crusaders in the Middle Ages. The Associated Press reported that the tattoo previously resulted in Hegseth being flagged as a possible "Insider Threat" by a fellow service member. However, the AP report led to outrage on both sides, including from Vice President JD Vance.
