"If not now, when?"

Hello, friends.

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
 
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
 
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
 
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

--Martin Niemöller

Now, Martin Niemöller was a Protestant pastor opposing the Nazi regime, and we have a lot to learn from this well-known quote. It is so easy to put off the problems of the world--they do not affect me, just those other people. They do not affect me, I am not Muslim. They do not affect me, I hold a Western passport.

No.

Do not fall into that trap.

What threatens the rights of anyone affects the rights of us all.

I woke up yesterday morning to a Facebook newsfeed full of news articles on the recent executive order that was signed by the new U.S. President, Donald Trump, which severely restricts or denies individuals from seven Muslim countries entry into the U.S. This would be potentially even if they already hold visas, even if they hold dual-citizenship with a country that would normally be allowed to enter the U.S. without a visa (like from the U.K.), and definitely if they are refugees, at least for now (though the details on the ban are shifting as people try to navigate through his order, so these may not be completely accurate, though they come from initial reports on the ban). Here are some of the bullet points about it that were put out by the BBC (click the link to see more information, such as why the BBC thinks the ban is illegal):

• The order brings in a suspension of the US Refugee Admissions Programme for 120 days
• There is also an indefinite ban on Syrian refugees
• And anyone arriving from seven Muslim-majority countries - Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen - faces a 90-day visa suspension. Some visa categories, such as diplomats and the UN, are not included in the suspension

You can also read more about the ban over at CNN if you want a perspective from another news source. You can also read a bit about why some view this as a positive development, protecting U.S. citizens, over at Fox News (really, read it--even if you dislike Fox). Some have suggested the ban excludes countries in which the President has significant business holdings--perhaps it is coincidence, perhaps it is intentional, but read here if you want to get a sense of that perspective.

It is a complicated issue and one I do not fully have a grasp on yet, but from here--in my bedroom in Jerusalem, a place that knows a lot about racism and interfaith disharmony--it looks a lot like prejudice without much logical backing. According to some sources, "Not a single American was killed on U.S. soil by citizens from any of those countries [included in the ban] between 1975 and 2015, according to statistics tallied by the conservative-leaning Cato Institute. However, the same set of statistics show that nearly 3,000 Americans were killed by citizens from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt in the same time period — with the bulk of those killed being victims of the 9/11 attacks. Yet, people from those three countries are still welcome to apply for U.S. visas and travel permits." Source

Many things concern me about this ban, not least of all that it will lead people to surmise that all Muslim individuals are dangerous terrorists who should be feared. All groups of people have great people, and all have terrible people, but when we start generalizing, we threaten our sense of morality and love for our fellow human beings. As someone who worked helping Syrian refugees for two years, I saw this compromising on morality daily from otherwise excellent individuals who were understandably scared for their safety and so wanted to halt refugees from entering the U.S.--even if that meant that those individuals would face terror and death back home. Well, at least for now, the folks who want extremely tight controls on Muslim entry to the U.S. have gotten their wish.

If you need any distressing further evidence that Islamophobia is real, take a look at the latest news out today--at least six Muslim individuals were killed and more injured in Quebec City, Canada last night at 8 p.m. local time while at an Islamic Cultural Centre and mosque. A complete tragedy. There is not a lot of information out yet, but you can read some of it over at The Guardian and Al-Jazeera.

This is not okay. I may not be Muslim, but that is of no importance; my heart cries out to all the innocent people who are suffering right now all around the world--those suffering under the new ban, those who lost loved ones in Canada last night, those who are victims of any kind of terrorism supposedly based on religion. I have a number of Muslim friends, but even if you do not, that does not change our collective responsibility to love our fellow humans with all our might.

We need security, of course--perhaps with some edits or further clarification this ban could even lead to a safer vetting process for individuals coming to the U.S.; I am not a scholar of politics to pretend I know what the right course forward is to protect us from those who use religion for violent means. But I am a scholar of peace, dialogue, and bringing people together, and I will say that what is going on now--this potentially illogical broad-sweeping travel ban in the U.S., the rampant Islamophobia around the world, all of this religious prejudice and ignorance--this is not the way to make the world a better, safer place. Education, dialogue, working together, those will help us--not this ignorance and hatred.

Let me leave us all with a quote, and a type of prayer:

Hillel says, "If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am only for myself, who am I? If not now, when?" Ethics of the Fathers, 1:14

"If I am only for myself, who am I? If not now, when?" Please, please, please--go out and love one another.

<3,
Allyson