Why all the fuss about a process that protects us?
As a former refugee fromIraq and a proud American citizen, I’ve closely followed the public debate and legal battle right through the recent Supreme Court decision about President Trump’s travel ban. But I haven’t talked tomany people who have actually read it.
If they did, and knew their recent history, theywould find that this travel ban is essentially no different— and no more aggressive — than other policies handed down by Democratic and Republican administrations.
Consider this: In 2016, Christians and Yazidis made up less than 1percent of refugees coming to the United States fromSyria, even though the two religious groups together arewell above 10 percent of the country’s general population — andwere on the receiving end of most of the persecution. TheMuslim populationwas far over-represented in the refugees whowere allowed into theUnited States.
So President Barack Obama’s policies in reality favoredMuslim refugees fromSyria over and above Christian refugees— by a long shot. All the while a veritable genocidewas taking place against Christians in the Middle East at the hands of militant groups like ISIS.
When I came to this country as a refugee in 1982 after fleeing the Iran-Iraqwar, Iwas also held up by restrictions on refugees. But it was something I fully expected. I’ve never met any refugees from the Middle East who expected to have thewelcome mat automatically rolled out for them in any country they chose— especially theUnited States, which arguably has the single biggest target on its back for terrorists.
That’s because securing the blessings of liberty means taking certain measures when allowing people to cross our borders from nations who’ve been shown to harbor terrorists.
Trump knows this. And Obama did, too, when he also targeted immigrants fromthe same seven countries under his visawaiver program in 2016.
So it’s asinine to think one can decry Trump’s executive order as a “Muslim ban,” after having said nothing about Obama’s visawaiver program, which made few headlines.
Like millions of other refugees in the early 1980s, I had to go through a screening process in order to be accepted into the United States. And I thank God that because of an executive order fromPresident Ronald Reagan, I was able to reunite withmy family here.
Today, even though I’m a citizen of this great country, I’m still singled out when it comes to travel. I often go through extra screening, I’m asked extra questions, and I receive much more scrutiny than white Americans any time I reenter theUnited States.
Why? Because there are people who look likeme, talk likeme and have names similar to mine who want to do harm to this nation. So I welcome any additional screening because it means our government is doing its job of keeping our people safe.
Shouldwe showcompassion to the hurting? Yes. Shouldwe help those— Christians andMuslims alike— who trulywant nothing more than a peaceful life? Absolutely.
But doing so also meanswe have to understand there are bad elements infiltrating the global refugee community.
I truly hope America will take this temporary travel ban and become better at vetting those who want to enter our country. And until this period is over, I believe wewould dowell to be patient and allowour government officials to do thework theywere elected to do: keep our country safe.
Jalil Dawood is the author of “The Refugee: AStory of God’sGrace and Hope on OneMan’s Road to Refuge.” He wrote this for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Email him at jalil.dawood@worldrefugeecare.org.