A few days ago newly elected US President, Donald Trump signed a series of Executive Orders (EOs) which indefinitely banned refugees from war-torn Syria, suspension of United States of America (USA) refugee admissions program for 120 days and to cease all visa applications from countries (Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen) which are considered as a threat for homeland security in US for 30 days.
The protest against Trump in more than 30 cities across US and widespread demonstration worldwide indicating that the EOs are not only appreciated by Americans but other as well. The popularity of Trump slumped drastically in US within 8 days after he was inaugurated as the President of USA is another signal that he is departing from the principles enshrined in the American constitution. Further in United Kingdom (UK), a petition has collected more than 1.5 million signatures to call Theresa May to cancel Trump's scheduled state visit to the UK. This is unprecedented because USA is always regarded as a close ally of UK.
USA is always remain as the Immigrants State. The presidency of Barack Obama is an example of the USA constitution which upholds the fundamental rights of people without race, religion and gender. That’s how the founding fathers of USA had aspired with. By signing on the EOs, Trump is walking away from the USA constitution and diluting himself with the race and religion based narrow approaches which will set the basis for future global conflicts.
The Trump’s exclusion domestic and foreign policies will be dangerous to the world peace. This because US as the hegemony of the world and this will encourage the other countries to follow suit such policies. As a result of these policies, its will alienated the refugees particularly from war-torn countries like Syria and Iraq to seek protection for their families. Most of the refugees are innocent children, women and old folks.
Further these policies are contravened with aspirations of the international law like the 1951 UN Convention relating to the status of refugees (Geneva Convention) and the 1967 Protocol relating to the status of refugees. His policies also perceptibly destitute the fundamental rights for refugees in USA. But unfortunately, Trump has cited homeland security as his main concern by depriving the refugees’ rights.
Meanwhile, the Refugee Act of 1980 (RA 1980)enacted to set up systematic procedures for accepting refugees into the United States and according to the CATO Institute, there is no record connected refugees involved with any major terrorist attacks in American soil. The major terrorist attacks in USA like, the New York and New Jersey explosions (2016); the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting (2016); Boston Marathon bombings (2013); and World Trade Center attacks (2001) involving US citizens or green card holders who are come from outside of the banned states. Therefore Trump’s blatant policies will isolate the law abiding citizens from Muslim community in USA. In addition, it’s also may create an incubator for the home grown terrorists to accelerate their attacks in USA.
His EOs will be the motive and inspiration for the terrorist groups around the world particularly ISIS and Al Qaeda to launch deadliest attacks on the American soil and its interests elsewhere in future. The terrorist groups can exploit this dissatisfaction of marginalized people to turn them against their own government and people. These terrorist groups can use this platform by creating terrorist cells within US to launch attacks. The recent terrorist attacks in France, Germany and Belgium are accentuate with this trend. Most of the terrorists who are involved in those countries are second generation of immigrants’ children who felt they are ostracized in their own country.
Further these policies also can have a reverse effect by invoking nationalism and anti-immigrants sentiments especially against Muslims like the Quebec City mosque attack where a terrorist, Alexandre Bissonnette killed six people in mosque. Even though Alexandre is a white but interestingly the international media and other experts called him as a lone wolf rather a terrorist. Terrorism and the terrorists are not exclusive for one religion or race. This because a terrorist is always a terrorist disregards which race or religion they are belongs too.
The current US Administration is heavily subscribe the notion of the clash of civilizations theory. This theory is propagated by Samuel P. Huntington. He argued after Soviet Union is defeated i.e. socialism is defeated by capitalism (clash of ideologies), the West especially USA have to face new enemies to maintain its superiority. By recurring history he argued that the new enemies are come from eastern civilizations. Therefore he contended with all means that the West especially USA must take measures to contain these enemies to maintain its hegemony. Since the inception of this theory, the US foreign policies are based on it. In my view, this theory is based on the notion of imperialism.
This colonialist mindset is reflected within when the current administration victimized the Muslims and Mexican immigrants by calling for harsh immigrants laws. In addition, the building a wall between USA and Mexico borders are the other indications that this theory is the baseline for the current US administration. Further, the EOs are reflecting on this notion. The US involvement in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Libya is precursor how this theory captured the mind of policy makers within the critical agencies in USA. These agencies are eventually given power to advise President of USA on foreign policies matters.
As what has argued by Edward Said in his book, Orientalism, the West is fail or refuse to understand the East. He said the East is unique. Further he argued that to understand the East the West has to wear the lenses of East rather than the lenses of West. In addition, Noam Chomsky, the biggest US foreign policies critic has pointed out that US subscription of the notion of the Grand Area which include the Western Hemisphere, East Asia, the former British colonies including Middle East countries where the US would control and exercise its power. The USA need to come out from its own shadow. In a globalized world, there is no hegemony per se. If a country wanted to be a superpower than the country has to pay a hefty price like Soviet in Afghanistan, France in Vietnam and USA in Iraq.
In a nutshell, the Trump Administration needs to set aside or review the domestic and foreign policies which are profoundly influenced by the notion of clash of civilizations and take more liberal approach by subscribing the view of orientalism and multiculturalism. By denying the rights of the refugees from a particular religion and isolating the minorities in USA, the administration is inviting atrocities to be happened in its soil. The EOs has some grave flaws and that is the reason why the acting US attorney general, Sally Yates resisted travel ban entry for people from seven Muslim-majority countries. But, she was eventually sacked by Trump. The terrorist are not born as terrorist but they are created by circumstances. The current policies of Trump administration is seeding the terrorist attacks in US and elsewhere. That’s needs to be stopped.
Kuala Lumpur.
https://www.aseanbreakingnews.com/2017/02/trumps-orders-will-only-backfire-new-straits-times/
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