Dear outraged lefties,
It’s not a ‘Muslim ban’. US President Donald Trump may have promised a ban on Muslim immigration during his election campaign, but that is not what he has delivered.
Not the first time a politician has reneged on an election promise, right?
So what is it?
Under the US Constitution, a president cannot simply change the law without the support of lawmakers, but he or she is allowed to tell government departments how to enforce existing laws.
It’s like a proclamation stating how departments should operate and what they should prioritise.
The proclamation is known as an ‘Executive Order’.
Trump signed one on Friday entitled “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States.”
Why is it NOT a Muslim ban?
Not once does Mr Trump’s Executive Order mention the world "Muslim".
If Trump’s Executive Order was designed to stop any Muslim entering the US, all Muslim-majority countries would be included in the order, right? Well, they’re not.
Indonesia and Bangladesh, along with many other Muslim-majority nations, are not on the list.
Africa is the only Muslim-majority continent on earth, so why didn’t Trump just go ahead and ban anyone from Africa from heading Stateside?
Because of Obama.
Yes, it might be cold comfort to you, but the seven countries included in Mr Trump’s Order were included for a very specific reason: Barack Obama.
In 2015, the former president’s administration identified Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Syria and later Libya, Somalia and Yemen as countries of concern due to their potential to harbour terrorists.
Obama’s Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Protection Act made it harder for inhabitants of those countries to get into the United States without a visa.
So Mr Trump is just going off what Mr Obama decided were countries to worry about.
If the threat of terrorism from non-Muslim-majority countries, like New Zealand, was considered high enough by Mr Obama, then we’d be on Mr Trump’s list too.
Also, it’s not a ban
It’s a temporary restriction on travel. Mr Trump’s team says it will give the new administration time to review and enhance existing vetting processes to ensure no potential terrorists, or those who may have been radicalised, are allowed entry into the country.
Argue with actions, not rhetoric.
Mr Trump’s rhetoric is one thing. Easy to criticise, easy to object to.
He’s a populist who will say anything to energise a white, middle-class base that feels alienated by the establishment.
But that’s not what this latest round of hysteria is about.
We must judge his actions as President fairly, based on his actual actions.
So far, his actions have not amounted to a racist ban on Muslims wanting entry to the United States.
It’s trendy to get caught up in all the hysteria, but you shouldn’t get too carried away until there’s reason to do so.
Newshub.
