Editorial: Dangerous Rhetoric on Refugees

By The Editorial Board

After the deadly ISIS attacks in Paris, Beirut, and elsewhere, many American politicians — many of them Republicans — quickly strengthened their opposition to allowing Syrian refugees into the U.S.

“There is no way that we can put any of our people at risk by bringing people in at this point,” said John Kasich, Ohio Governor and current Republican presidential candidate.

Marco Rubio, a Republican senator and presidential candidate, said, “The problem is, we can’t background-check them. You can’t pick up the phone and call Syria, and that’s one of the reasons why I’ve said we won’t be able to take more refugees. It’s not that we don’t want to, it’s that we can’t.”

“Our nation has always been welcoming,” said Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House of Representatives, at a news conference. “But we cannot allow terrorists to take advantage of our compassion. This is a moment where it is better to be safe than to be sorry.”

Governors of several states echoed the sentiments of the politicians.

“I’m not interested in accepting refugees from Syria,” said Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, a Republican.

Governor Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, a Democrat, pressed the president’s administration to stop taking in Syrian refugees until the federal vetting procedures for all refugees are “as strong as possible.”

Donald Trump, in his typical nationalist rhetoric, called for more scrutiny of mosques on American soil. Saying that the possibility of shutting down mosques should be “studied,” he recently said on MSNBC. Trump continued: “I would hate to do it but it’s something that you’re going to have to strongly consider because some of the ideas and some of the hatred, the absolute hatred, is coming from these areas.”

Some of the comments echoed the anti-Muslim and anti-immigration ravaging European nations. Following the attacks, many countries, like Poland, have heightened efforts to either block or divert refugees, and American politicians are beginning to mirror the cries of some European nations.

In recent days, President Obama has been an exemplary voice on this issue, offering some counterpoints to the objections of those on the right.

“When I hear political leaders suggesting that there would be a religious test for which a person who’s fleeing from a war-torn country is admitted, when some of those folks themselves come from families who benefited from protection when they were fleeing political persecution — that’s shameful,” President Obama said.

The president, who is leading a plan to accept 10,000 refugees from Syria, recently made the obvious point that the refugees are innocent victims of civil war. “Slamming the door in their faces would be a betrayal of our values. Our nations can welcome refugees who are desperately seeking safety and ensure our own security. We can and must do both,” President Obama said.

Indeed, Democrats have reiterated that they were not stepping away from the plan with many adding that there are many measures in place to screen those coming to America’s shores.

“We should continue to accept refugees under the rigorous standards that have been set up,” Robert Menendez, senator from New Jersey, said.

The fear-mongering of politicians is steering the nation and its people in the wrong direction, and is perpetuating the false idea that Muslim people are dangerous and require surveillance.

It is both dangerous and wrong to say that the victims of Syrian’s bloody civil war do not deserve help and, if there is a substantial and thorough vetting process that screens refugees for prior activity, America must take action on this front and do its part.

America is a country built by immigrants — many of whom helped the nation grow through the past two centuries. Study after study shows that immigrants are what help America continue to be a great nation.

This crisis is not going away any time soon and, as Bernie Sanders noted, it is our moral obligation to aid other countries in relieving the suffering of those who are fleeing terrorism. In order to be on the right side of history, we should act now.