Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump issued a campaign statement following the San Bernardino shootings calling for “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on” (BBC News).
Trump, lamenting that “we have a real problem,” insisted his controversial message has resonated with Americans and even some Muslims in the wake of deadly terrorist attacks in San Bernardino and Paris.
“The people that are friends of mine that called, they said, ‘Donald, you’ve done us a tremendous service because we do have a problem,'” he said.
Such remarks have prompted responses from numerous public figures, including other Republican Party candidates. Competing nominee Jeb Bush called the property tycoon “unhinged” while David Cameron dismissed Trump’s remarks citing that he “completely disagrees” his views. Similarly journalists and celebrities internationally have condemned Trump’s views.
However, many Americans believe that Trump is expressing real concerns that others fear bringing to public attention. There have been accusations of politicians ignoring the “Islamist threat” in order to maintain their reputation as politically correct.
Trump on the other hand said to solve the problem of extremism, the U.S. has to understand from where the hatred is coming “or we’ll never have a safe country.”
Comment:
Such inflammatory statements from Trump immediately bring to mind the words of Allah سبحانه وتعالى in Surah Al-i-Imran verse 118:
وَدُّوا مَا عَنِتُّمْ قَدْ بَدَتِ الْبَغْضَاءُ مِنْ أَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَمَا تُخْفِي صُدُورُهُمْ أَكْبَرُۚ قَدْ بَيَّنَّا لَكُمُ الْآيَاتِۖ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
“Rank hatred has already appeared from their mouths: What their hearts conceal is far worse. We have made plain to you the Signs, if you have wisdom.”
The comments against Muslims are the latest in a series of discriminatory and racist statements by Trump, in a bid for popularity and publicity. However the fact that a substantial portion of the American population welcomes his sentiments, as shown by his number one position in the Republican presidential candidacy race, is reason to be vigilant. The many years of government and media propaganda have finally paid off and there is now little, if any, distinction between the terms “Muslim” and “terrorist”.
This has resulted in many Muslims adopting, the now typical, defensive stance, and if not directly apologising for the crimes of individuals or groups such as ISIS, attempt to prove themselves to the wider non-Muslim community through charity work or engagement in local initiatives, to reassure them of their humanity. This has also rendered many Muslims desperate, reflected in the glorification of remarks by celebrities that denounced Trump, seeking approval wherever it is offered.
Many Muslims have also used the justification of freedom against Trump arguing that it is “un-American” to propose a ban on anyone. Such remarks completely misunderstand that it is this value of freedom that has allowed the demonization of the Muslim community and the ever-increasing rise of Islamophobic hate crimes. Moreover, it is this value of freedom that has allowed the defamation of our beloved Prophet RasoolAllah ﷺ and it was under the banner of freedom and democracy that the Muslim world has been invaded and interfered in, to this day.
Until Muslims fully comprehend how the secular system is the root of intolerance, and that we cannot seek respite within it, will we be able to unify upon the Islamic ideology as our refuge.
Aisha Hasan