Islamophobia in Trump’s America

Sept. 11, 2001, marked the turning point for national security reform in the United States. This was the first time that the country was attacked without a definitive reason. This ultimately changed the view of U.S. citizens and the government on national security laws. Through the process of altering and reforming safety and security, a domestic Islamophobia spread through the country and deeply rooted itself in the minds of the inhabitants and the government officials. The Patriot Act was created to bring safety and security to American citizens; however, it intruded on Muslims’ civil liberties and developed a widespread domestic Islamophobia, creating a harmful environment for Muslims. This Islamophobic nature connects to and affects the Syrian refugees and other migrants fleeing to the U.S. for safety. The Refugee acceptance and screening process is tainted with bias, which lengthens the migration process to the U.S. and subjects immigrants to heavy evaluation. There must be rational ways to combat terrorism as opposed to destructive and unconstitutional methods, like building a wall. Ultimately, the government and the people in power hold the most sway over the perspective of citizens. Therefore, changes need to be made in the way government officials view immigrants, even in the face of great adversity.

Islamophobia can be specified as an individual’s fear or antagonism towards Muslims. This can also be interpreted as a vague perspective of a society that does not have a definitive reasoning or justification for the hatred. A modern day example of this widespread Islamophobia can be seen through the actions of some famous political leaders. At the start of Donald Trump’s campaign, he called for a complete shutdown of Muslims coming into the United States, “until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on.” This statement was released the day after the San Bernardino attacks and President Barack Obama’s request not to turn on one another due to fear. Donald Trump and many other Republicans strongly believe that Muslims are internally aggressive. Trump says, “Our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life.”Trump says that Muslim people only believe in Jihad, which is the struggle of Muslims against unbelievers. This is not only a lie but also an insufficient justification for prohibiting Muslims to enter the U.S. because it is solely biased. With harsh Muslim slang floating around the media, it makes it difficult for people to understand the root of the problem, and what a lot of Muslims are going through in their own countries.

The problem of Islamophobia isn’t going to be solved by prohibiting people from coming into the U.S. or by forcefully keeping them out. Instead, limiting chain migration or asking immigrants questions about the U.S. Constitution, for example, during the screening process could be potential solutions. Chain migration refers to the extensive amount of foreign individuals who are unified with non-immediate family members – who are permanent residents and citizens of a specific country. This system is thought to increase illegal immigration, which is a potential cause for domestic terrorist attacks. Limiting this type of immigration could potentially lessen the terrorist threat and reduce the stigma around Islamophobia. The idea of societal Islamophobia that exists today is due to the power that presidents are given from the Patriot Act to make decisions without rationally thinking about the outcomes. By setting a federal example of discriminating against Muslims and harsh questioning without any proof, government officials create an unjust example for the citizens of the U.S. and develop a sense of domestic Islamophobia.

• islamophobia
• Muslim
• politics