After Signalgate, Hegseth sparks uproar with 'Kafir' tattoo on arm

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has once again drawn controversy and backlash over his new "kafir" tattoo, which many say is Islamophobic.

Hegseth posted pictures on his X account where he joined the SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team One (SDVT-1) at a joint base in Pearl Harbor. One of the pictures showed a new tattoo on his forearm that reads " كافر" or "kafir", the Arabic word for infidel or disbeliever.

Many people have picked up on the tattoo, arguing it's an Islamophobic symbol from the man overseeing the US army.

"Hegseth just got a kafir (كافر) tattoo under his Deus Vult tattoo—a Crusader slogan. This isn't just a personal choice; it’s a clear symbol of Islamophobia from the man overseeing US wars," Nerdeen Kiswani, a Palestinian activist, said on X.

"'Kafir' has been weaponised by far-right Islamophobes to mock and vilify Muslims. It's not about his personal beliefs. It's about how these beliefs translate into policy—how they shape military decisions, surveillance programs, and foreign interventions targeting Muslim countries."

Award-winning investigator and writer Tam Hussain said the tattoo is "not a good look" for Hegseth, especially when the term is being used in the Quran to refer to someone who rejects God.

"To the Muslim world, the tattoo will be seen as an open declaration of Hegseth's enmity towards them, which will be confirmed by the bombing of a hospital in Yemen," Hussain said.

'Anti-Muslim hostility'

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has denounced the new tattoo Hegseth got, saying it's "a sign of both anti-Muslim hostility and personal insecurity."

"Tattooing the Arabic word kafir–which essentially refers to a person who knowingly conceals or denies fundamental, divine truths–on his body is a sign of both anti-Muslim hostility and personal insecurity," CAIR said in its statement.

"It appears Islam lives so rent-free in Pete Hegseth's head that he feels the need to stamp himself with tattoos declaring his opposition to Islam alongside a tattoo declaring his affinity for the failed Crusaders."

CAIR said that while Hegseth can tattoo himself all he wants, he should keep in mind that he leads the US Army, where thousands of American Muslims are sworn to defend the country.

"You don't see American Muslims running around with tattoos declaring their opposition to Christianity because we are secure in our own faith, we respect the beliefs of our neighbours, and, in any case, most Muslims do not wear tattoos for religious reasons," CAIR added.

Prior controversies

This is not the first time Hegseth has drawn controversy and backlash, especially from Muslims.

On December 1, 2024, the New Yorker published a report that went through Hegseth's past controversies.

One of them cited a complaint from the Concerned Veterans for America employees, claiming that Hegseth shouted "Kill all Muslims" while he was drunk at a bar in Ohio in 2015.

After President Donald Trump, he once again went under the scope due to his "Deus Bult" tattoo, Latin for "God Wills it", a slogan used as a battle cry by the Crusaders as they committed acts of genocide against Muslims and Jews.

Hegseth also has a tattoo of the ‘Jerusalem Cross’. That cross has a long history in Christianity but has lately been co-opted by some far-right groups as a symbol of the fight for Western civilisation.