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A Proud Jew will Register as Muslim
11-29-2016
President-elect Donald Trump has yet to take an oath on January 20th, 2017. However, he has been able to accomplish what most of the world leaders, and United Nations collectively has not been able to achieve over the past seventy years – Peace between, the Muslims and the Jews!
In fact, Mr. Trump's victory earlier this month shocked the world. It has also united the American public from all walks of life, culture, creed, race and religion. Just as Mr. Trump's racist, misogynist, bigoted, and xenophobic rhetoric had a spill over affect in other parts of the world, such as Canada. It also uncovered the best of humanity.
In essence, Mr. Trump's victory has indeed culminated thoughts of two great activists, into action. Although these two individuals lived world apart, but are united in their service to humanity. Pakistan's Abdul Sattar Edhi, "No religion is higher than humanity," and Canada's Margaret Atwood, "I hope that people will finally come to realize that there is only one race – the human race – and that we are all members of it."
The idea of Mr. Trump campaign rhetoric, the promise of establishing "Muslim Registry," compelling all American Muslims to register could now be a possibility. It is none other than one of the oldest and the leading Jewish Civil Advocacy Organization, The Anti-Defamation League, famous for its, "NEVER AGAIN" slogan, a reference to safeguarding Jewish people's rights, and lives, in post Hitler world, has extended its support to the American Muslims.
Israel's leading English Language newspaper, Haaretz in its November 18 issue reported, "Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, pledged to register as a Muslim on the national database that President-elect Donald Trump vowed to create during his campaign." The article quoted, "We must stand with our fellow Americans who may be singled out for how they look, where they’re from, who they love or how they pray,' Jonathan Greenblatt says. 'As Jews we know what it means to be forced to register. I pledge to you that because I am committed to the fight against anti-Semitism that if one day Muslim Americans are forced to register their identities, that is the day that this proud Jew will register as Muslim.”
The mainstream Americans who rejected Mr. Trump's racist, and xenophobic rhetoric by a wide margin have joined hands to combat any and all post-election implementation of Mr. Trump's campaign agenda against minorities, immigrants, regardless of their religious background. Creating a Muslim Registry will be the least of Mr. Trump's problems.
Mr. Trump will soon realize that making promises during an election campaign is one thing. Talk is cheap. Delivering or Implementing a racist, misogynist, bigoted and xenophobic rhetoric will neither be easy nor cheap. As civil advocacy groups and democratic mayors of "Sanctuary Cities" across United States, from New York to Seattle, from Miami to Los Angeles, in total, thirty five cities, including the capital city, Washington, D.C., join hands to defy Mr. Trump's policies. Each of the thirty five "Sanctuary Cities" have issued statements on how they intend to protect their citizens, the minorities against Mr. Trump's xenophobic agenda. This despite the fact that Mr. Trump has threatened to cut-off federal funding to "Sanctuary Cities" that will create obstacles in his path.
The most recent of all, Pittsburgh has announced to become a "Sanctuary City." According to APSAN Law Group, "Sanctuary city is a name given to a city in the United States that follows certain procedures that shelters illegal immigrants. These procedures can be by law (de jure) or they can be by action (de facto). The term most commonly is used for cities that do not permit municipal funds or resources to be applied in furtherance of enforcement of federal immigration laws. These cities normally do not permit police or municipal employees to inquire about one's immigration status."
Mr. Trump's hometown, New York city's mayor, Bill de Blasio has added policy, in addition to its earlier policies, limiting cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement since 2011. He defended the policies in a meeting at City Hall and pledged that the city is “not going to take anything lying down,” including attempts by the Trump administration to deport undocumented New Yorkers. Some of the most important ones are: "If all Muslims are forced to register, we will take a legal action to block it. If the federal government wants us to tear our immigrant families apart, we will refuse to do it. If the federal government tries to deport law-abiding New Yorkers to deport who have no representation,.. We will provide these New Yorkers with the lawyer they need to protect them and their families. If the Justice Department orders local police to resume stop and frisk, we will not comply. We will not trade-in neighbourhood policing for racial profiling." He added extra protection for the members of LGBT, and medical funding for women, in case federal government stops funding.
Seattle has had an ordinance in place since 2003 preventing local police from inquiring about person's immigration status. Mayor Ed Murray of Seattle made a strong statement, “These are our neighbors, and we will continue to support our neighbors. We can’t allow ourselves to be divided and sorted out. That’s not America.”
Philadelphia's Mayor Jim Kenney went even one step beyond, “First of all, we've changed the name from 'sanctuary city' to 'the Fourth Amendment city,' " Kenney said. "We respect and live up to the Fourth Amendment, which means you can't be held against your will without a warrant from the court signed by a judge. So, yeah, we will continue to be a Fourth Amendment city abiding by the Constitution."
There has been tremendous outpouring of support for the immigrants, especially Muslims, with a trending hashtag on Twitter #MuslimAlly, "We love you," said a hand-written message on the sidewalk in front of the Mubarak Mosque, in Chantilly, Va. "We are your brothers and sisters." Non Muslim Students at Michigan University formed a human chain around Muslims gathering for the Friday Prayers.
At the end, hindsight is 20/20. The possibility of Mr. Trump's victory, before the election was seen as disaster has in fact turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the immigrants, especially the Muslim immigrant community. It is now up to the Muslim community to use this great opportunity to open channels to reach out with the broader society and demonstrate the true character of a Muslim by putting the true teachings of Islam into practice.
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