Opinion: Muslim Ban Not Racist

The Muslim ban has been trending on social media for multiple days. But is that really what it is? Is it a Muslim ban?

No, it is not. Is it racist? No, it is not.  

I will not spend my precious time discussing this point at lenght. I will defend my stance in as few sentences as possible. Fact: Muslims are not banned from entering the United States. Fact: Islam is not a race.

Muslims are not banned from entering the country. What President Donald Trump executively enforced was a travel ban for seven countries that have had a high rate of migrating refugees who were deemed unsafe by the Obama administration.

“Here’s the deal: If you’re coming in and out of one of those seven countries — by the way, identified by the Obama administration as the seven most dangerous countries in the world in regard to harboring terrorists and affirmed by Congress multiple times — then you’re going to be subjected temporarily with more questioning until a better program is put in place over the next several months,” Politifact.com said.

The seven countries were selected by the Obama administration and approved by Congress not because they were Islamic countries but because they were hotbeds for terrorism. The ban was perceived as racist only because the people want to see it this way. They will twist the facts and play with words to get you to believe what they are saying.

One example is the New York Times. On 28 January, they released an article titled “Donald Trump’s Muslim Ban is Cowardly and Dangerous.” The article states the following: “The order’s language makes clear that the xenophobia and Islamophobia that permeated Mr. Trump’s campaign are to stain his presidency as well.”

In what way is Trump’s order xenophobic or islamophobic? The president is trying to protect and bring back the safety and peace of mind of the citizens of his country. He should be met with support and reinforcement, but, instead, he is met with hate and criticism for trying to keep our beautiful country safe.