As we sit back and mourn the deaths of 31 people and empathize with the injuries of 270, conservatives have rushed in front of the cameras to solidify their Islamophobic policies to the American people. It is disheartening to understand that the GOP front-runners in the upcoming presidential election are swiftly following the words of Winston Churchill: “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” Ted Cruz’s wide array of insane stances fly under the radar because of the brash Trump. Still, both decided to show their true colors this week in unbelievable fashion.
Ted Cruz decided to take the opportunity the Brussels disaster afforded him to call on the American government to monitor and secure Muslim neighborhoods. The American people would first like to know where exactly these ‘Muslim neighborhoods’ are located. One can even observe this proposal as code that all Muslims consolidate their efforts into their own secret communities in an effort to avoid the public eye of their ominous behavior.
Donald Trump decided it was important to politicize this event in his own style. Following his long line of xenophobic and racist rhetoric, Trump lashed out at the Muslim community for not reporting more of their peers as radicalized members of their communities, essentially declaring the guilt of all Muslims in the matter. Furthermore, Trump continued in his crusade to bring back waterboarding and “a whole lot worse.”
As the world struggles with uncertainty in the war against terrorism, conservative politicians are blind to the fact that their propositions are galvanizing radical efforts. Propositions represented by Donald Trump are even making their way into ISIS propaganda films to draw in new recruits. The understanding that our hatred and fear are feeding the flames of these organizations is paramount.
This is especially so in countries like Syria. These people lack hope, homes, and resources. A deconstructed society by brutal warfare has turned millions of lives upside down. When they see that top politicians in the United States are clamoring for tightened borders and bans after the hell they have survived, can it be that hard to believe in the manifestation of hatred towards our proposed actions?
No matter how many times one is reminded of the extensive vetting process for refugees or Obama decides to openly crush the GOP for its buffoonery, we are still confronted with the dismissal of facts to stoke fire of fear. By all accounts it needs to be stopped, but it has reached an extremely critical point with the most common politicians on our TVs being those who represent the worst of our country.
Featured image from IrishTimes.com is a screengrab from airport surveillance footage released by police.
