A Response To Trump's Immigration Ban From A Former Muslim Refugee

In recent reports, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to ban immigration into the United States. It was from seven specific countries which included Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen, and Somalia: all of which have a high population of Muslims. What is more shocking is that there is no clear evidence that these specific countries have any ties to terrorist threats or any such action.

Due to this sudden change, airports detained families, relatives, and refugees in airports which the public took action into protesting at these same locations demanding they be released and that this is a “Muslim ban”. What is more shocking is they detained those that were green card holders from these countries which they had the legal right to be in the United States but were still refused access.

The fear and anger that drove the President to do such a desperate act are the same emotions that drove protestors to disagree with this ban and they flooded airports for support of these families and protest their rejection of the ban. He continues to separate this country that is full of diversity and to turn us against each other. The very thing we should be proud of, our differences, are the same ones that are causing fear and violence towards each other.

He said this would "keep radical Islamic terrorists out of the United States”, something I think he is just saying to justify his actions.

As a Muslim and a former refugee myself, I am disappointed, to say the least. These are not refugees, but families and children. All of whom, deserve to live without fear.

Without these opportunities, my family and I might not be alive today and could have been slaughtered because of our religion. They called it an "ethnic cleansing". Something that I did not understand at the age of two. My family escaped our war-torn country former Yugoslavia but now named Bosnia and Herzegovina. We had nothing but a suitcase with a few pieces of clothes and our desire to stay alive.

We were looking for hope, safety, and opportunity all of which we found in America. Without being here and given that opportunity to strive, attend college and have a comfortable life who knows what I might have had instead if I was turned away. Families refuse to still talk about the years that lead up to and during the war because of the dark memories associated with the war that destroyed our country. To this day, when we visit there is evidence of the war and buildings full of bullets and others destroyed and painted over with enemy markings. Residents that still reside in the country tell you the darkest stories from the past and things that only in nightmares can occur but they endured. It is a terrible and sad past to remember and something that no one should have live through.

The basic human right to live should never be taken away from anyone regardless of their religion, their wealth and where they previously resided. America is a symbol of hope and opportunity. There are numerous stories just like mine who have come from the same background and have managed to give their families comfort and safety. They risked everything just to have the basic human right to live.