Recently, a store in Florida adopted a "no Muslim" policy. Let that sink in for a moment. This store has outwardly banned all Muslim individuals. And to make matters worse, this was a policy that was deemed legal by a federal judge. It's the kind of choices that hark back to the days of segregation or the Japanese internment camps. And all because the owner believes they are terrorists. The assumption that all Middle Easterners are out to harm other people is false, and hurtful. It is for this reason that I would like to speak out against the objections raised against Syrian refugees.
Recently, with the attacks in the Middle East, some people in the United States have spoken out against allowing refugees in this country because we would be "bringing in terrorists." However, that is far from the truth. As cliché as it sounds, what we take for granted is something very valuable in other places. Imagine you couldn't go out for walks. Imagine you couldn't show your hair (even though you wanted to). Imagine that water and hot food were delicacies, and not just everyday certainties. Although I say it, I cannot even imagine it. Moreover, I don't want to imagine it. These people are scared for their lives, they are worried about their kids futures, and they fear for their loved ones. They see atrocities every day, and they fight for life every minute. They deserve safety. If we cannot grant them that, then we should at least grant them their humanity. We shouldn't assume they are here to harm, or that their religion justifies the radical actions taken by a few.
There may be financial complications. There may be a depletion of resources. There may be an impact on the economy. Those are real concerns, and not light ones. Those I can see as valid objections, though they still push me to question our humanity. However, denying entrance to suffering people based on an irrational fear that they may incite violence is unforgivably apathetic. In our country, murderers are granted safety, hearings in courts before being deemed guilty, and public defenders to argue for their rights. At the very least, we should grant innocents such rights too.
