Don't be a fool. "Kafir" means disbeliever

by Mahmoud El-Yousseph
July 28, 2025

Pete Hegseth "Deus Vult" arm tattoo; Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

The Honorable Sec. of Defense Pete Hegseth has about 12 tattoos on his biceps, chest, and torso, including that one that reads "كافر" (kafir) in Arabic, which translates to "infidel" in English. Since Arabic is my native tongue, I took a quick note of it and I feel I should clear up the misconceptions and misunderstandings about the use term infidel (kafir) as well Sec. Hegseth's 12 tattoos.

Myth #1: Infidel does not mean "Westerner" or a "non-Muslim". The term refers to disbelievers, people who do not believe in God. It is also mentioned in the Bible, and it means the same in Arabic. Muslims refers to Jews and Christians as the "people of the book." Muslim men are allowed to marry Christians and Jews but not disbelievers or "kafirs."

Myth #2: While Sec. Pete Hegseth has his body littered with tattoos, he has never been a gang member, and no one accused him of aggravated assault, robbery, rape, and murder. Reason? He's a white man and neither Latino nor Black!

Prior to Islam, Christians used the term infidels to describe unbelievers and enemies of God. Once again, the name "kafir" in Arabic means infidel. Next time someone wants to be a smart-aleck or misuse the name "kafir," tell them, "Don't be a fool! Infidel means disbeliever."

Mahmoud El-Youseph is a Palestinian freelancer and Ret. USAF veteran: For feedback write to: elyousseph6@yahoo.com