A nation founded by immigrants, each of whom had begun life anew, on an equal footing now shut its doors to refugees fleeing war-torn Syria and suspended entry from seven Muslim-majority nations in the name of national interest and security. Many questions have arisen about Trump during the election campaign-about his platform, his knowledge of issues, his inflammatory language, and his level of comfort with political violence. The executive order was consistent with his pledge during the campaign to stop immigration from many Muslim-majority countries, particularly those he loosely defined as historically prone to terrorism.
But for many it is hard to find any real basis for this action as there has not been a single terrorism-related death caused by foreign operatives coming into the country since 9/11. The culprits of recent deadly terror attacks in America aren't linked to the countries singled out by Trump's executive order. From Omar Mateen, the man responsible for the Orlando nightclub shooting, the deadliest terror attack in the U.S. since the Sept. 11 attacks was born in New York to Afghan parents. Syed Rizwan Farook, who took part in the December 2015 San Bernardino attack, was born in Chicago. The brothers who bombed the Boston Marathon were ethnic Chechens who had been living in the U.S.A for long. All these killings have been the work of American citizens and permanent residents without any overseas connections or contacts.
The strong consensus in the counterterrorism community remains that the principal danger today continues to come from homegrown extremists. And this has been confirmed by John Cohen, a former Department of Homeland Security counterterrorism official who worked in government under Democratic and Republican administrations, said, "The primary terrorism-related threat facing the U.S. today comes from individuals living here who become inspired by what they see on the internet who carry out attacks independent of any terrorist organization".Â
While a real-world basis for Trump's action is non-existent, the consequences of the order could be all too palpable. America's economic strength is based on attracting the best and the brightest to come here and help build a better future. Society that believes in merit, talent, inclusiveness, and competition and succeeding in America, either as an individual or as a company is based on the notion of competing against the best ideas and the most talented individuals, regardless of what their religion, belief or where they were born. But by cutting off immigration, from seven majority-Muslim countries and refusing to take more refugees from Syria, Trump, knowingly or not, is signaling the world that this is America versus one religion.
The 32nd President of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt says, "A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough". President Donald Trump's seismic move was widely condemned and many rights advocacy group issued an urgent call to fight the policy which is against American values, the values of a nation of immigrants: fairness, equality, openness, generosity, courage. Immigration is in Americans' blood and part of American history. In the early 1600's, courageous men and women sailed in search of freedom and a better life. Arriving in Jamestown and Plymouth, they founded a great nation. For centuries ever since, countless other brave men and women have made the difficult decision to leave their homes and seek better lives in this promised land. And at present, more than 47 million people living in the United States were born in other countries and that shows just how multicultural this country has become.Â
The words on the Statue of Liberty welcoming immigrants to America through a "Golden Door" weren't just a poetic metaphor. They were an economic prophesy. America's most profitable companies were founded by people born elsewhere. In the early years, immigrants were key to founding companies like Proctor & Gamble , Pfizer, U.S. Steel as well as more recently Ebay, Google, Brightstar etc. Â A 2011 report from the Partnership for a New American Economy estimates that 45 per cent of the largest U.S companies were founded by immigrants or their children. Immigrants have played a big role in building some major U.S. companies, particularly in tech. In fact, immigrant-founded Fortune 500 companies employed 3.6 million workers around the world and were responsible for more than $1.7 trillion in revenues and immigrant-run businesses employed one in 10 American workers. A 2012 report found immigrants as a whole are more than twice as likely to start a business as someone born in America. Â If President Donald Trump thinks banning immigrants will "Make America great again", he is living in a fool's paradise because immigrants were key to founding today's America.
afsarulhaider@gmail.com
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Making America great again
Abu Afsarul Haider | Published: February 03, 2017 20:30:42 | Updated: October 21, 2017 12:59:53
Making America great again
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