In late January, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order barring citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States – and suspending indefinitely the acceptance of refugees from war-torn Syria. Highlighting the rationale, if any, behind these new strict measures, President Trump said they were aimed at keeping radical Islamic terrorists out of the US.

The countries affected by the travel ban – Syria, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia – are in turmoil, their citizens struggling to contend with conflict, human rights abuses and destruction of their livelihoods, which have continued to force them from their homes. Ironically, the crises in most of these countries can be traced back to poor US-led foreign policy.

Many have condemned President Trump’s unilateral actions, which prompted series of protests across the world - pointing out that the ban singled out countries that played zero part in the 9/11 terror attacks Trump cited when announcing the ban, which was put on hold by US courts at press time. Saudi Arabia, where those attackers originated, was strangely exempt from the order.

Opponents added that out of the more than three million refugees admitted to the US from 1975 to the end of 2015, only 20 were terrorists. Of those 20, only three committed attacks, killing three people.

While we agree that Islamic fundamentalism - as does fundamentalism in any religion – poses a major threat to the world, we call on the Trump administration to avoid actions that would breed more extremism. We also urge the US to design and implement a positive foreign policy that would encourage international peace and co-existence.

news@metroeireann.com