Donald Trump has taken it too far this time. Did he go up to each and every Arab-American to know their opinion on the
California attack? Does he have any idea on how many Muslims condemned the terrorist attacks? Does he realise how Muslims all over the world are still facing the brunt of such attacks with absolutely no hand in it?
Permitting surveillance in US mosques is a clear breach of the American fundamental right to privacy. How would someone feel when they realise that they were being spied upon as they are supplicating to God? Trump ignorantly justifies the move by calling it a “counter-terrorism initiative”.
While it is acceptable to have a database of US Muslims, I object to the fact that it is limited to US ‘Muslims only’. Why shouldn’t all people in the US be included in that database? Why must he specifically target Muslims? This billionaire thinks that no other presidential candidate would be tough on Daesh, however, his words and potential actions could be equally destructive as those of Daesh.
My heart bleeds when I see pictures of children crying as well as all the displaced men and women in Syria. Trump has all the resources to help them, but refuses to do so. Surely, Trump hasn’t heard of the Good Samaritan. Indeed, the brain of a billionaire, but with a heart of stone. He is warding off the innocent people of Syria, who are looking for nothing but survival. It’s sad that the candidature of an individual with such a mind-set is even considered for the US presidential elections. Does he really think that the displaced people of Syria would prefer killing Americans as opposed to earning a livelihood and living a peaceful life, something they can’t do back home in Syria?
This man fails to see the bigger picture — the blessing that the act of letting a displaced person stay with you in times of distress is.
While Trump’s version of the US may be ‘Muslim-free’, he will definitely lose out on a lot of supporters as a result of his actions. There are many US citizens who are in favour of co-existing with peace and harmony. They don’t want to see a particular community being targeted. They believe in equality, and most importantly, they have a heart. There used to be people who respected Donald Trump, who thought of him in high regard. However, like many other people around the world, I too, used to think of him with high regard, but not anymore.
— The reader is an Indian student based in Dubai
