Editorial: The political exploitation of fear
Confusing an entire religion with the extremists who invoke terrorism is a serious mistake
Crédito: Captura de pantalla | Impremedia
The attacks in Paris and San Bernardino left Americans feeling vulnerable in a way unseen since 9/11. Resentment toward Muslims has also emerged and is being fueled by the Republican presidential primary, thanks to the popularity of Donald Trump and company. Aggressive, gratuitous reactions against this religious group represent a victory for the terrorists who exploit the hatred toward them as propaganda to attract new recruits.
Reports of threats and attacks on Muslims have surged nationwide. Mosques have been vandalized, shot at or burned, as in Coachella, California, or subjected to demonstrations by heavily armed individuals, as in Irving, Texas. At the same time, individual attacks on people perceived to be Muslim continue on the rise.
Since the attacks on the Twin Towers, a sector of society has embraced an ongoing xenophobia against Muslims. For that reason, crimes against Muslims have been the only hate crimes targeting minorities that have not fallen between 2002 and 2014, according to the FBI. Distrust spread with the recent attacks, giving nativist discourse a public forum with various candidates inciting fear of Muslims. The most extreme example seems to be Trump’s proposal to ban entry to the country by any Muslim until the situation is resolved.
What a victory for ISIS!
Surveys show that most Republicans support Trump’s ideas of banning entry and establishing a database of all Muslims. The extremists have succeeded in having a radicalized religious group confused with millions of peaceful people of the same faith. They are now closer to achieving the conflict they desire.
That this is happening in an open, multicultural society like our own is a tragedy. Fear serves as a poor guide and led, for example, to the imprisonment of more than 100,000 citizens and legal residents of Japanese origin during the Second World War.
Fear—whether of immigrants or Ebola—is a powerful tool, open to the manipulation of politicians who appeal to voters’most base instincts. It is a dangerous weapon that will benefit the political ambition of the day, but will damage both the peace within our country and the role of the United States in the world.
