Defending the Immigration Ban: Part II

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled. Donald Trump’s estranged executive order has been ejected and eulogized without sending it for an appeal to the Supreme Court. The president has said he is considering writing an entirely new draft of the temporary ban. With national security at stake and the importance of striking a balance with our humanitarian national values, expediency is first priority for the administration. The question should be asked whether Islamic ideas from the iron age are compatible with western civilization, but political forces are playing hardball.

Congress has long given American presidents unhindered judgement regarding immigration. US code Title 8 states, “whenever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate.” For trying to rework the refugee program in the name of safety, this has been a surprising battle for the soul of America.

Regardless of whether the president has these powers or not, there are other truths that must be examined, as hard as they may be to face. Believing that Islam is a dangerous religion is something you ought to think to yourself rather than say aloud. After all, it is only radical Islamic terrorists that are dangerous and the majority of the 1.6 billion Muslims are peaceful. At least, this is what the thought police would have you to think.

Before proceeding any further, let’s remember that facts don’t care about feelings, statistical data is not offensive, and criticizing Islam is not automatically racist. It is a 1,500 year old religion and like any set of beliefs, should be open to critique. Over the last couple of years, Pew Research Center, who has gathered the views of Muslims from around the world, is considered the gold standard for polling and has revealed some frightening information. The findings are threatening to free-thinkers, women, homosexuals and the antithesis of a classic liberal.

It is worth noting that one can be harmful to society without being a jihadist. Most of the statistics covered are not about terrorism but simply not compliant with the U.S. Constitution or inalienable rights. Europe has seen an uptick in Islamic terrorism since they’ve let in over a million refugees. That is a negative we would see here as well but not the root of this argument. In a civilized country such as Great Britain, shockingly, 52 percent of Muslims believe homosexuality should be illegal. On top of that, 47 percent of Muslims believe gays should not be teachers in the education system. Mainstream myth would lead you to believe that most Muslims, especially in democratic nations, are more tolerant than this, however, it gets worse. For the crime of being homosexual, you can legally be put to death in ten Muslim majority or theocratic nations.

The Free Women’s Organization of Kurdistan released a statement claiming in 2015, over 6,000 women were the victims of honor killings in Iraq alone. Honor killing is the execution of a family member by a relative for bringing shame to the family. This can occur for different reasons: leaving the faith, refusing an arranged marriage, dressing in a way deemed inappropriate or becoming a victim of rape. In the 23 countries evaluated by Pew, over 50 percent of Muslims believe that honor killings involving sex were at least sometimes justified.

There are more informative statistics to discuss, such as the high numbers of Muslim's who would like to see Sharia law implemented.

I have chosen to highlight these specific few as a plea with the left, hitting them where their concerns currently burn hottest domestically. Women’s and LGBTQ rights are highlighted daily by the media and at the tip of the spear of liberal thought. It would be counterintuitive for a feminist or social justice warrior to unwittingly fight for the very thing they are most against. If we value these things, we must be real of the danger Islam poses. Real world facts don’t fit the narrative regurgitated about islamophobia on the nightly news. You don’t have to be an ISIS fighter to have radical ideas but the extreme dehumanization of women and other minorities is radical. Much like Christianity in the 16th century, Islam needs a reformation. To be fair, the greatest offender of violence and human rights used to be Christianity but today it is Islam.

Contrary to the public relations miracle he’s produced, Justin Trudeau, prime minister of Canada takes an even more pragmatic approach to the refugee process than the U.S. Canada does not even allow single male refugees into the country yet Trudeau isn’t seen as racist but almost as this new prince of peace. The Trump administration has to learn to fight these battles more efficiently and play the PR games. There can be a balance of national security yet still provide a safe haven for refugees. It is critical the U.S. does not become like Europe. Angela Merkel, prime minister of Germany, who has taken an open-armed approach to the Syrian migrants is now backpedaling. She recently announced plans to deport 100,000 failed migrants this year. We must heed these warnings, continue to refine our vetting system, and be open the creation of solutions such as safe zones which have recently been suggested by the administration. If this is done, every person in need is given safe haven. America retains its values and remains a shining light on a hill around the world.