On December 7th, presidential candidate Donald Trump added to his growing collection of inflammatory and disrespectful comments by calling for the “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on.” Trump, who later defended his comments, was condemned both domestically and internationally for his statement with the White House going so far as to say Trump’s statement “disqualifies him from serving as president”. However, beyond the blatant disrespect he showed for a 1,400-year old religion, his comments also present a major security risk to the United States.
In the wake of recent terrorist attacks in Beirut, Paris, and San Bernardino, fear is understandably high. Each of those attacks was either executed or connected to ISIS, a group that uses Islam as justification for their violent actions but, by no means, represents the views of the vast majority of Muslims. By unfairly characterizing all Muslims as security threats, Trump’s remarks fuel hatred already directed at the West. His proposed plan to create a religion-based legal differentiation between Muslims and non-Muslims only further alienates the Muslim community, making radical Islamist groups like ISIS even more apt to strike back at American targets. Potential recruits to organizations like ISIS are motivated, in part, by anti-Muslim rhetoric from the West and comments like those made by Trump play into the hands of the leadership of terrorist organizations. Although not his intention, Trump is undoubtedly helping these groups gain traction, placing the United States in great danger in the process.
Condemning the attacks, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan denounced Trump’s statement, pointing out that “some of our best and biggest allies in this struggle and fight against radical Islam terror are Muslims.” Although not an official representative of the United States government, Trump and his comments are seen by many as being indicative of the feelings of the American public – an insult to Muslims worldwide. Trump’s statements are morally wrong, not to mention un-democratic, and are embarrassing coming from a presidential candidate running for office in the United States, a country that prides itself on the values of freedom and equality. From a purely practical standpoint, in order to defeat terrorist groups like ISIS, it is necessary to work with Muslims, the very group Trump insults by categorizing their religion as a security threat.
More than ever, it is necessary to preserve our country’s democratic values. By accepting Islam as a religion, not a threat to national security, we are taking steps forward to creating a safer world. Donald Trump’s rash statement regarding Muslims is not only insulting to an entire religious group, it puts the American public (Muslim and non-Muslim) in danger.
