Liz Yaslik
Following the recent terrorist attacks in Belgium and earlier attacks in Paris, the Republican and Democratic candidates for the presidency of the United States have all attempted to take a side on the issue and have made comments in response to national security and American Muslims..
The leading Republican candidate, Donald Trump, recently said he was in favor of monitoring American Muslims and he has even been recently featured in an ISIS propaganda video. This adds more fuel to the fire and spreads the same kind of anti-Muslim rhetoric that these alleged terror groups use to garner support and recruit more followers by depicting the US as an Islamophobic and racist nation. Recently, Trump tweeted that Muslims should even be stopped from entering the U.S. “If they’re Muslim they need to be checked very, very carefully,” Trump told Fox News.
Incompetent Hillary, despite the horrible attack in Brussels today, wants borders to be weak and open-and let the Muslims flow in. No way!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 23, 2016
Muslim Americans: this is your country, too. These kinds of proposals are dangerous, hateful, and beneath us. https://t.co/kcj1ltvNWa
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) March 22, 2016
When Republican candidates demonize Muslim Americans, it’s wrong, counterproductive, and dangerous. https://t.co/n2DGYSMX1O
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) March 26, 2016
But Trump is not the only candidate making such hate-filled remarks following the attacks in Brussels. Senator Ted Cruz called for police to patrol Muslim communities. “We need to empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighbourhoods before they become radicalized,” Cruz said.
While the Republican candidate in third place, Governor John Kasich, warned against such action mentioned above, stating these kinds of measures only spread more hatred and division. “We are not at war with Islam — we’re at war with radical Islam,” Kasich told reporters in Minnesota.
On the Democratic side, front-runner Hillary Clinton came out in strong opposition against the Republicans’ proposed plans towards Muslims calling such measures “wrong, counter productive and dangerous.” She said the Republican candidates are treating Muslims like criminals and are racially profiling predominantly Muslim neighbourhoods.
She blasted the Republican front-runners and called them out for their controversial statements. “One thing we know that does not work is offensive inflammatory rhetoric that demonizes all Muslims,” Clinton said
