Guest column
Refugee ban weakens our moral standing
By Danial Vereb Graphic designer, Medina
This past week, President Donald Trump used an executive order to temporarily block refugees and other immigrants from several Muslim majority countries. I’ve heard from many individuals that we need this temporary block in order to guarantee our vetting process is strong enough to ensure safety for our citizens. However, the United States has one of the toughest vetting processes for refugees in the world. Below is the vetting process taken from official government sources.
Vetting Process (takes 18–24 months)
1. Apply through the UN Refugee Agency – fewer than 1 percent are recommended for resettlement.
2. Referred to State Department – put through screenings by National Counter-Terrorism Center, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security. Additional screening for Syrians, called the Syria Enhanced Review
3. Interview with USCS Offices – Fingerprints go through FBI, Department of Defense, and Department of Homeland Security
4. Health screenings
5. Cultural orientation classes
6. FBI director must sign off on every refugee
Of 784,000 refugees admitted since Sept. 11, 2001, only three have been arrested for planning terrorist activities, none of which resulted in attacks here. That’s a ratio of 1 in 261,000 refugees are terrorists.
It’s easy for people of privilege to write – in the safety of their own home – that a temporary halt in accepting refugees is no big deal. However, it’s a big deal for those trying to escape war and terrorism. More specifically, barrel bombs from Syria’s President Assad, or the brutality of ISIS, which is responsible for indiscriminately killing people regardless of their faith. In 90 days, a person reading this will more than likely still be living well, but for a refugee, every day is a life or death situation. This refugee ban – temporary or not – weakens our moral standing in the world. It sends a message to our allies that we won’t uphold international law, and also provides a propaganda and recruitment tool for terrorist groups worldwide. Why do you think leaders from both political parties, from President Bush to President Obama, were adamant that we were not at war with Islam? Because we’re not. That’s not “political correctness,” that’s the plain fact. Muslims have been, and continue to be the largest group of victims from terrorism. They are also bearing most of the heavy burden in fighting terrorist organizations around the world.
I’ve been fortunate in my life to meet many people of different cultures, ethnicities and religious backgrounds. Growing up in a homogenous community doesn’t offer the opportunities to meet or understand others, and that lack of understanding can lead to a lack of empathy, or a general fear of those different from our own. If we’re not willing to stand up for others – regardless of who they are – then we can no longer claim to have any moral authority. This executive order attacks the most fundamental character of our nation, and if we’re not willing to stand up and defend that character, then we’ve shown the world we stand for nothing.
This past week, President Donald Trump used an executive order to temporarily block refugees and other immigrants from several Muslim majority countries. I’ve heard from many individuals that we need this temporary block in order to guarantee our vetting process is strong enough to ensure safety for our citizens. However, the United States has one of the toughest vetting processes for refugees in the world. Below is the vetting process taken from official government sources.
Vetting Process (takes 18–24 months)
1. Apply through the UN Refugee Agency – fewer than 1 percent are recommended for resettlement.
2. Referred to State Department – put through screenings by National Counter-Terrorism Center, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security. Additional screening for Syrians, called the Syria Enhanced Review
3. Interview with USCS Offices – Fingerprints go through FBI, Department of Defense, and Department of Homeland Security
4. Health screenings
5. Cultural orientation classes
6. FBI director must sign off on every refugee
Of 784,000 refugees admitted since Sept. 11, 2001, only three have been arrested for planning terrorist activities, none of which resulted in attacks here. That’s a ratio of 1 in 261,000 refugees are terrorists.
It’s easy for people of privilege to write – in the safety of their own home – that a temporary halt in accepting refugees is no big deal. However, it’s a big deal for those trying to escape war and terrorism. More specifically, barrel bombs from Syria’s President Assad, or the brutality of ISIS, which is responsible for indiscriminately killing people regardless of their faith. In 90 days, a person reading this will more than likely still be living well, but for a refugee, every day is a life or death situation. This refugee ban – temporary or not – weakens our moral standing in the world. It sends a message to our allies that we won’t uphold international law, and also provides a propaganda and recruitment tool for terrorist groups worldwide. Why do you think leaders from both political parties, from President Bush to President Obama, were adamant that we were not at war with Islam? Because we’re not. That’s not “political correctness,” that’s the plain fact. Muslims have been, and continue to be the largest group of victims from terrorism. They are also bearing most of the heavy burden in fighting terrorist organizations around the world.
I’ve been fortunate in my life to meet many people of different cultures, ethnicities and religious backgrounds. Growing up in a homogenous community doesn’t offer the opportunities to meet or understand others, and that lack of understanding can lead to a lack of empathy, or a general fear of those different from our own. If we’re not willing to stand up for others – regardless of who they are – then we can no longer claim to have any moral authority. This executive order attacks the most fundamental character of our nation, and if we’re not willing to stand up and defend that character, then we’ve shown the world we stand for nothing.