By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Sunday, January 29, 2017, US Representative Terri Sewell (D-Selma) blasted President Donald J Trump’s executive orders on Syrian refugees and people with visas from countries where the terror risk is believed to be high. Sewell called the new President’s orders, “Unconscionable.”
Congresswoman Sewell said, “The President’s most recent executive order halting the Syrian Refugee Program and barring entry into the US based on religion is unconscionable, if not unconstitutional, and is inconsistent with our American values. This ill-conceived executive order does little to protect us from terrorism, but it does institutionalize a prejudice against Muslims by giving preference to minority Christians in Muslim countries and forbidding majority Muslim populations from entering into the United States on the basis of nothing more than the religion that they practice. Likewise, by banning the entry of all refugees, the Trump Administration dishonors the commitment we made to countless women and children from Syria that have successfully complied with our strict vetting process and now seek only refuge from the carnage of their own war-torn country.”
Rep. Sewell continued, “All Americans, regardless of religion, should be offended by Trump’s executive action since there is nothing stopping him from banning anyone of any religion from coming into or staying in the United States. The mass confusion and the protests at airports across this country further demonstrate that the President’s executive order is not well reasoned or thoughtfully implemented.”
Rep. Sewell concluded, “I call on the President to immediately rescind this executive order and to work with Congress and our National Security professionals to find workable solutions to defeat terrorism while protecting religious freedoms. We are a nation of laws and of immigrants. The actions of the Trump Administration should reflect these American values.”
On November 28, 2016, Abdul Razuk, a Somali refugee and Ohio State student, drove his car into a crowd of fellow students and then got out of his car and began stabbing the horrified students until he was finally gunned down by a police officer who was on the scene within one minute. Nine students were injured in the attack.
In other terror attacks the Islamic attackers either were born in this country, were converts to Islam, or came from a country other than the seven on Trump’s list. The Boston bomber brothers fled the Russian occupation of Chechnya. The Orlando night club shooter grew up here. His family fled Afghanistan. Most of the 9-11 attackers were from Saudia Arabia, which is also not on the list.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) said in a statement, “This executive order is mean-spirited and un-American, and it was implemented in an incompetent way that has caused chaos and confusion across the country. It will only serve to embolden and inspire those around the globe who would do us harm.”
Sen Schumer added, “Senate Democrats are going to introduce legislation to overturn this order.”
Muslims are a growing Democratic Party constituency. Polling shows that 74 percent of American Muslims voted for Hillary Clinton (D); while only 13 percent voted for Donald Trump (R).
Congresswoman Terri Sewell represents Alabama’s Seventh Congressional District.
(Original reporting by The New York Post contributed to this report)