Islamophobia is sweeping the nation more than it did after 9/11 and Syrian Refugees and Muslim Americans are suffering the consequences.

The recent attacks on Paris shook the world, but some were unaware of the unprecedented effects that ISIS would have on the political world here in the United States.

Terror has tainted the platform of the GOP candidates to focus on fear and make decisions based on emotion. The terrorists who orchestrated the attacks on Paris entered the country disguised as Syrian refugees. The GOP candidates responded with fear in light of this fact and began to point their fingers at the Syrian refugees.

On Thursday, Nov. 19, the House voted on a bill that would make it nearly impossible for refugees from Syria and any other Islamic nation to enter the United States until national security agencies certify that they are not terrorists. The legislation easily passed with 289 votes. The bill definitely sends the wrong message. It sends a message that the terrorist organization ISIS has the power to send mass hysteria through the nation and influence our legislation. Denying Syrian refugees is not a proactive solution; it is an act that gives in to the fear that ISIS initiated.

GOP candidates have been paranoid about terrorists coming to America disguised as Syrian refugees. However, the perceived risk that Syrian refugees are a threat to national security is not entirely based on facts. A State Department spokesperson said that since the terrorist attacks at

9/11, 785,000 Syrian refugees settled in America and only about a dozen have been arrested or removed from the United States due to terrorism concerns.

The possibility that Syrian refugees are a potential threat is slim, but the political platform of candidates have currently been centered on what they would do to “protect the American people.” However, their idea of protection does not seem to target terrorists, but Muslims because of the fear of “Muslim extremists.”

Senator Ted Cruz has suggested a delivery of a "religious test" to judge which refugees to admit. Cruz told reporters that he would admit all persecuted Christians to the U.S. but no persecuted Muslims.

Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush relayed the sentiments of Christian priority when he said there is a “special important need” to help Syrian Christians; yet, he does not support bringing Syrian refugees in the U.S but rather create safe havens in some other region.

But the largest voices getting the most attention seem to be from the top two Republican candidates Donald Trump and Ben Carson. They received much media coverage because of the harsh tone and statements they made regarding the refugees.

They have both been advocating for databases in which Muslims should register under. However, this system seems oddly familiar to anyone who studied European history. When Trump was asked about how a system of registering Muslims would be different from Jews having to register in Nazi Germany, Mr. Trump failed to give a clear answer and simply replied, “You tell me.”

Ben Carson went further to say that there should be a database on everyone. He also said that trying to distinguish terrorists among Syrian refugees coming into the United States would be like having "a rabid dog running around your neighborhood."

These statements regarding religious tests and Muslim databases would not have occurred if we simply called ISIS for what it is -- a terrorist organization, and did not focus on ISIS’ self-proclaimed religious affiliation.

President Obama says that “we are not well served when in response to a terrorist attack, we descend into fear and panic.”

Fear after a tragic event is a common response, but fear should not be the driving force behind large decision making for the nation. This nation is experiencing “déjà vu” in the way that society is once again pointing towards Muslim Americans.

Post 9/11 Islamophobia was never this bad. One of the main reasons for this could be the political climate is operating in an atmosphere where their first impulse is to point fingers or find someone to blame. Six days after 9/11, President George W. Bush made the statement that “Islam is peace. These terrorists do not represent peace. They represent evil and war.”

However, Muslim Americans have been experiencing the hostile responses that is all too familiar to them. Anti-hate crimes have escalated since the attacks on Paris. Instances include shots and rocks shot at mosques.

Being blamed for the mass murders and being thrown in the pool of the terrorist group ISIS is not the position they deserve to be in. No one should live in fear based on their religious identity.