This past Friday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that restricts immigration from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen; barred Syrian refugees indefinitely; and suspended all refugee admission for 90 days. This was enforced in response to his campaign promise, to ban all Muslims in an attempt to end terrorism in the United States. However, this is nothing short of overt discrimination. I believe that being Muslim does not make you a terrorist, as true Muslim beliefs do not advocate the destruction caused by the hands of jihad groups like ISIS.

A radicalization of religion is not representative of the millions of Muslim-Americans that live their life through peace, dignity, and kindness. To ban refugees who are trying to escape the perils of their dwellings and are seeking asylum in a country blessed with security is a violation of their human rights, and is a saddening prospect to stomach. To discriminate against the Muslim religion is to defy the Constitution, and shrouds the United States in a blanket of ignorance. To detain green-card holders at airports simply because they come from a Muslim country is both humiliating and incarcerates their freedom.

I do believe national security is of great importance, but I do not believe that this is the means to attain it. Perhaps radical Islamic groups will enlist jihad recruits from other Muslim countries not included in the executive order, such as Saudi Arabia, to execute their terror. It will also only deepen the pool of potential recruits, as there is nowhere for refugees to turn for safety but to the oppressors themselves. To me, this order is not feasible, and will only fuel the divide in the nation that Trump so desparately wanted to unify after his presidential victory.

Works Cited

Calamur, Krishnadev. "What Trump's Executive Order on Immigration Does—and Doesn't Do." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 29 Jan. 2017. Web. 29 Jan. 2017.