He had promised a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on."
Now, just five days into his presidency, it has been widely reported that Donald Trump will sign an executive order on Wednesday suspending visas to individuals from seven Muslim-majority countries.
Also including a suspension of most refugees entering the country, the expected legislation represents a de facto “Muslim ban” because of the countries it targets. If the reports are to be believed, individuals from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen will no longer be able to travel to the US.
The news has been met by swift condemnation from many on social media, who have pointed out Trump’s flagrant hypocrisy on this matter.
First there is the fact that Trump’s own wife, Melania, was an immigrant from the former Yugoslavia.
1/As Trump takes steps to change America's immigration system, I renew call for him to authorize release of Melania's immigration file.
— Simon Rosenberg (@SimonWDC) January 25, 2017
Then, one cannot help but pointing out the valuable contributions of immigrants to America from Muslim-majority countries.
Photographer whose inauguration photo Trump will hang in WH is from Iran, one of six countries Trump plans to restrict immigration from.
— Sara Hussein (@sarahussein) January 25, 2017
Trump to ban immigration from Syria and 6 other Muslim countries "because the last thing we want is another Steve Jobs".
— David Schneider (@davidschneider) January 25, 2017
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs’ biological father was a Syrian Muslim.
Added to that, is the fact that refugees do not just emerge randomly. They are created, often by wars in which America plays a more or less hands-on military role.
It was widely reported in the last days of Obama’s presidency that America dropped 26,171 bombs in 2016. The countries targeted? All Muslim-majority nations, including five of those banned under Trump’s new immigration legislation.
While Trump supporters celebrate this fulfillment of one of his most contentious campaign pledges, many see the move as a ban omen of worse to come.
Torture, CIA black sites, an effective Muslim ban, and a wall: a dark, menacing and ugly US face shown to the world https://t.co/H5HeZJtqO5
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) January 25, 2017
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