Syrian Refugees: The Great Debate
Lately, the world has grown rapid fear towards the ongoing terror attacks. Though the constant attacks are causing security scare world wide it has sparked the issue of immigration yet again. Currently in the United States some states are considering not to allow many Syrian refugees to settle in their states. According to a CNN report about thirty-one states in the United States don't approve of the settlement of Syrian refugees. Among the states include: Arizona, Texas, Alabama, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine.
This uproar has risen after it was reported that at least one of the suspects of the Paris attacks two weeks ago entered Europe with a group of other Syrian refugees by falsely identifying himself as a Syrian named Ahmad al Muhammad. Eventually, that allowed him to enter Greece early this October.
Politicians and lawmakers who are going to vote on the decision of the settlement of Syrian refugees need to understand that there are thousands of people fleeing their homeland because terrorist groups especially ISIS have made their homes a battle ground. These refugees are trying to find a good place to raise their children. I don't think politicians are aware of how many children died in the Arab Spring a few years ago. Not only have groups like ISIS made Syria a battle ground, but they even try to control every aspect of the Syrian people, such as how they should present themselves in public. Syrian people are living in constant fear everyday and night. As many may already know, they aren't able to get help from their government because the Syrian president himself is killing off his own people.
The citizens of the U.S. need to understand that this country was belt upon immigrants. The first European settlers who came from Britain settled in North America due to the persecutions they faced in their native homelands so as many other immigrnats from different parts of the world. The Syrian people are not that different in terms of such experiences. In fact they face far more persecution such as beheadings for no particular reasons in Syria. Lets not do what the U.S. did to the Jews during World War ll.
Because America wanted to stay out of Europe's problem and not allow Jewish immigrants in, Nazi Germany killed thousands of innocent Jews in concentration camps and death marches. The U.S. as well as Canada, and many other countries had the opportunity to stop such mass killings if they allowed the Jewish people seek asylum in their countries. Instead they feared terrorism and let thousands of Jewish families die. This is the same situation many Syrian people might have to face. Who knows what ISIS is planning for them right now. We shouldn't have to wait until ISIS does something even more frightening to these group of refugees before America and others decide to intervene and take in refugees.
Countries have the power to save these people now. Just last week I was told that Anne Frank's family applied to get an asylum from the U.S. three times before they faced tragedy. If the U.S. took in Jewish immigrants many Jews including Anne Frank would've been saved. On the other hand, many of America's growing companies were founded by immigrant families. The biological father of Steve Jobs was a Syrian immigrant. Without him Apple or Steve Jobs wouldn't have existed. Google was founded by Sergey Brin who is Russian and AT&T was founded by Alexander Graham Bell who was Scottish. As you can see this country was built upon immigrants!
Lets not also forgot that by not accepting these refugees, we're falling in the traps of ISIS. Remeber, ISIS wants us to fear them so that we think every Arab person that enters the country is a terrorist. We shouldn't have to fear any of their propaganda videos, because that is why they create such videos. America is wrong for thinking that we should be afraid that terrorists might come and attack. I think the biggest fear is that many young men Muslims and non-Muslims can be radicalized through the internet right here at home. The U.S. needs to enhance its technology and create a cyber war, where U.S. intelligence can prevent virtual radicalization. That should be the solution to stopping radicalization here in U.S. soil. Also, remember that it takes two years of process in order to be allowed to migrate into the U.S. There's no way any terrorist would be patient enough to get into that process to enter the U.S. to cause a terrorist attack. Therefore, Syrian refugees should be allowed to enter the U.S. and we must also make it a priority to fight radicalization through the internet.
Asley Fantz, Ben Brumfield. More than half the nation's governors say Syrian refugees not welcome. CNN. 19 November 2015. http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/16/world/paris-attacks-syrian-refugees-backlash/
The Huffington Post. 16 Iconomic American Companies Founded By Immigrants. 15 August 2013.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/22/american-companies-founded-by-immigrants_n_3116172.html
Kristof, Nicholas. Donald Trump, Meet a Syrian Refugee Named Heba. The New York Times. The Opinion Pages. 26. November 2015. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/26/opinion/donald-trump-meet-a-syrian-refugee-named-heba.html?smid=tw-share&_r=1
Kristof, Nicholas. They Are Us. The New York Times. The Opinion Pages. 19 November 2015.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/19/opinion/betraying-ourselves.html?smid=tw-share
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