“Today it might be Muslims, tomorrow it might be somebody else.”
Mansoor Shams
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Mansoor Shams, a Marine Corps veteran, told BuzzFeed News he believed President Donald Trump's controversial executive order on immigration was "inappropriate," "unjust," and "goes against American ideals."
"I think President Trump, as commander-in-chief, has the right, by default, to protect our nation from any outside threats. But to paint an entire country or a nation, or a people, with a broad brush as if they’re all potential terrorists or bad people is what I take issue with," said Shams, a Pakistani American veteran who served as a Marine for over four-years.
Shams said he was irked the US had a "huge hand in destabilizing Iraq," and now Washington has "turned our shoulders" on the men and women of Iraq, especially those that helped and risked their lives for Americans, referring to translators and other Iraqis who worked with the US government during the conflict.
"I was sort of taken aback," Shams said of the ban.
"Of course this ban will do nothing for national security. It serves to cater to his base. There are no facts that back up these claims," Shams said.
"We talk all the time about bullying in this country and how bad it is, and that's exactly what the president is doing [to Muslims]," Shams said.
"Today it might be Muslims, tomorrow it might be somebody else."
Tayyib Rashid
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Tayyib Rashid, who served as a Marine for five years, told BuzzFeed News he believed the ban is neither, "legally, ethically, or morally correct."
"I feel sad. I feel sad for the citizens of this country because when I took the oath for the United States and the constitution, I took it for enemies foreign and domestic, and I feel like right now we have more domestic enemies," Rashid said, referring to the rise of white nationalism and the alt-right. "These domestic enemies are hell-bent on destroying the nation within."
Rashid believes the ban, in addition to being "inconsistent with the constitution," does little to protect the US from foreign threats. He said he believes the "motivation behind this is truly bigotry and racism."
Radhid now gives speeches and does community outreach so that people can learn about Islam from a Muslim directly — not through the media and anti-Muslim organizations.
"I just want people to know Muslims are loyal to this nation and we've always been ready to sacrifice," he said.
from BuzzFeed - USNews http://ift.tt/2jGH6Q0
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