When Paris was hit last week, many of us were shocked, abhorred, and afraid of what was going to happen next.
Already effects of the attack are being seen across the country. The country seems divided on whether or not we should keep Syrian refugees out of the country. Some argue that it’s our duty to protect those seeking help; while others say that we should put the country’s needs first. Who is right? Or a better question might be, what is the problem and how can it be solved?
For me, I see the problem as ISIS. ISIS has been expanding its power for the past couple of years into Syria and Iraq with both military efforts and brutality. They target locals of the countries they rule over, which include “Christians, Yazidis, and other minorities” (see here). Many Americans have died due to ISIS’s brutality. Most recently, they attacked Paris and caused many to lose loved ones.
Now Syrian refugees are seeking refuge from their oppressors. However, there is also a history of ISIS using other countries’ sympathy for refugees to infiltrate places they wish to attack (see here). Yet not all refugees are part of ISIS and many desperately wish to escape the bondage they are experiencing under ISIS reign.
I think in order to protect the citizens of the United States we must limit the number of Syrian refugees we allow in. I say this with much anguish, because when I served a mission in Australia, I encountered many refugees from the Middle East and heard their stories. One man told me of how he fled his country on a barge. The barge encountered a terrible storm and fell apart a few miles off the coast of Northern Australia. All he had was his backpack and the clothes on his back. He and his fellow travelers had to hold onto drift-wood as they made their way to shore, where they had to start new lives in a country where they couldn’t speak the language. The man I knew was a hard worker. He missed his home, and I could see why. The pictures he showed me had beautiful landscapes, yet conditions were so bad that my friend risked his life to seek refuge.
Yet, I stand firm in my belief that we should tighten up the entrance of Syrian refugees. Why? Because I love my family. I love my friends. I love my country. I don’t want what happened on 9/11 or 11/13 to happen again. I’d rather all the countries that are victims of the threats of ISIS come together and get rid of the problem. I’d rather we attack ISIS so that the people who are trying to escape can stay in their countries and live in peace. I know that my friend in Australia, who was a refugee, would go back to his homeland in a heartbeat if it were safe.
Instead of focusing so much on what we are going to do about the refugees, I think the focus should shift to what are we going to do about ISIS. For when ISIS is gone, then refugees will be gone - they’ll be free and happy in their own lands. And as anyone who has lived abroad for a time knows, there really is nothing more lovely than returning home.
