President Trump has repeated shameful American history in
denying access to desperate refugees. Many
were fleeing for their lives.
Friday was International Holocaust Remembrance Day. For me,
that means honoring the millions of victims, including close family members, murdered
by the Nazis. They included Jews, gays, the disabled, Jehovah’s Witnesses,
political opponents, etc., etc.
I strongly believe the only significant way we can honor
these victims is to ensure that all
people are not victimized because of their skin color, religion, ethnicity, sexual
orientation, country of origin, etc.
In 1939, the ship the St. Louis sailed for Havana, Cuba with
937 Refugees, mostly Jews escaping the impending Holocaust. Only a handful were
admitted to Cuba and the rest were denied access. The desperate refugees pleaded with the US
Immigration authorities to allow them safe haven in the US. President Roosevelt chose to ignore their
pleas and the ship, 90 miles from safety, sailed back to the dangers in Europe.
Fortunately, many of these refugees did survive, but 254 were murdered in the
Holocaust. Roosevelt and the US
government had the power to allow 254 refugees to live and they turned their
backs on them.
On Friday, Holocaust Remembrance Day, President Trump issued
an executive order barring immigrants from certain Muslim countries, from
entering the US. His rationale was to
stop terrorists from entering the US. Once again there were desperate refugees
in peril. Only this time, many were already in the US, having just landed at
different airports with previously legal entry documents. These immigrants underwent extensive scrutiny prior to obtaining legal entry but they were now trapped by Trump’s orders. Two federal judges were able to issue
emergency stays to allow these refugees to remain in the US, at least until the
courts decided on the legitimacy of the executive order.
It’s of great
interest to me that five predominantly Muslim countries were not included in Trump’s
executive order: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Lebanon, The United Arab Emirates and
Egypt. Of the 19 hijackers involved in the 911 terrorist attacks, 15 were from
Saudi Arabia, 2 from the United Arab Emirates, and 1 each from Egypt and
Lebanon. Osama bin Laden was found and
killed by US Special Forces in Pakistan within 1 mile of the Pakistan Military
Academy.
I am deeply troubled that President Trump has obviously not learned from the lessons of the Holocaust and on the very day of honoring past victims has potentially signed death warrants for some desperate and innocent refugees.
I am deeply troubled that President Trump has obviously not learned from the lessons of the Holocaust and on the very day of honoring past victims has potentially signed death warrants for some desperate and innocent refugees.
