The US President, Donald Trump, might have thought of appeasing the American militancy fears that he had earlier tapped into during his election campaign last Friday when he announced an executive order; suspending immigration from as many as seven Muslim countries. These curbs have, however, not helped him garner any support from the international community, whose backlash continues to gain strength against what is believed to be a deeply discriminatory policy that aims to divide people and the world.
If Trump was expecting an endorsement of his policies from at least longstanding US allies, he was in for a big surprise. Let alone Tehran, governments in Berlin and London to Ottawa and Jakarta have all joined hands in their condemnation of this directive. Serious concerns have been raised around the world; questioning the efficacy of such restrictions in deterring terrorism or the havoc and confusion its implementation would wreak upon both travellers destined for the US as well as the country’s immigration system. German Chancellor, Angela Merkel’s pro-refugee policy had already gained recognition as the only unfaltering voice in the midst of the ongoing humanitarian crises. Thus, the fierce manner in which she has recently criticised Trump’s measure, which cannot, in her view, make use of the global fight against terrorism to “justify putting people of a specific background or faith under general suspicion,” while explaining the refugee convention during a phone call with him certainly establishes her as the leader of the EU rebellion against the move, and in turn, the free world. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau followed suit by extending an offer to welcome those fleeing wars and persecution, regardless of their faith; tweeting, “…Diversity is our strength.” A comparatively weak objection by the UK Prime Minister Theresa May, who said of an intervention if the ban affected British citizens on top of her firm defence of an earlier decision to invite Trump on a state visit, has not gone too well with the Britons. As she battles the dilemma to remain dignified in the eyes of those hell-bent on slamming her stance, some have even started levelling accusations of complicity over the controversial ban against her.
The unrighteousness of this decision has also been met with reciprocal bans on visitors from the US in both Iran and Iraq. It is quite a shame that most of the countries named in the legislation also host a large number of the US allies in the Middle East, who are vulnerable to grave risks because of this connection. After spending years facilitating the US troops, these people rightly deserved a right to lead better lives away from the horrors of their own homes. Trump’s horrific policies have, nevertheless, stripped them of their only chance; obstructing the very last step of their yearlong wait. As if the breathtaking lack of logic in this sheer cruelty was not a sufficient reason for Pakistan to register a strong protest along the line of clear condemnation by other world leaders, the adversities faced by its nationals in the wake of its much-speculated inclusion in the banned countries should, definitely, ring some alarm bells. The shaky economy of Pakistan, which significantly relies upon remittances sent by its citizens living in the US, might not be able to recover from a shock of this magnitude. However, all financial woes aside, it is against all norms of globalisation, and above else, humanity to allow a man to stain the administration of an entire country with his own seething ideals emanating from xenophobia and Islamophobia. Such a travesty cannot and should not be allowed to run the world. *