Weekly Address: Standing Strong in the Face of Terrorism

“By uttering such a hate-spreading statement, Donald Trump has committed a crime by indirectly helping the cause of so-called global Islamist militants such as Islamic State”, the chairman of the Jamiatul Ulama Bangladesh, an Islamic scholars council, told AFP. Daesh is an Arabic acronym for Islamic State. But the truth is, one of the largest religions in the world is practiced by some of our most famous figures.

“Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the unsafe threat it poses, our country can not be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life”, Trump said (via CNN). “That’s how they recruit”, he said. It is our responsibility to reject religious tests on who we admit into this country.

This week, we’ll move forward on all fronts. We have no choice.

President Obama is warning Americans against stereotyping all Muslims based on the actions of insurgent groups like the deadly Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), who use the Islamic faith to justify violence.

Research shows that there are 2.75 million Muslims living in the U.S. According to a poll commissioned by the Center for Security Policy, 51% of Muslims living in America believe “Muslims in America should have the choice of being governed according to sharia” (Islamic law) instead of the U.S. Constitution. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio criticized Trump’s “habit of making offensive and outlandish statements”.

I am determined, along with many of my co-religionists, to do everything possible to prevent any terrorist from ever harming any of my fellow citizens. It’s bad enough that the media has consistently failed to call out the idiocy underlying the “radical Islam” catchphrase, but it is inexcusable to allow Republicans to blatantly lie about what the President has said.

Graham, who has been outspoken on political issues in the past, called Speaker of the House Paul Ryan to task for saying he disagreed with Trump. “What was proposed yesterday is not what this party stands for and, more importantly, is not what this country stands for”.

He also said Americans should be aware that they have a part to play in the fight against terrorism, and if they see something they should say something. On Monday, he will review the military campaign against the group during a meeting at the Pentagon.

As always, Trump maintained his substantive style of not providing substance to explain how his proposal might work.

He clarified his comments on “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States” by saying the embargo could be quick but needs to happen and that Muslim athletes and diplomats wouldn’t be subject to the discriminatory barrier. Should officials accept that as proof? “Our message to these killers is simple: we will find you, and justice will be done”, he said.

Or perhaps it will be remembered as the day the GOP voters decided The Donald is indeed their idea of presidential – so what if his ideas are neither presidential nor constitutional?

My guess is he’d rather shave his head.