DORNBAUM | In Light of Tragic Paris Attacks, America Cannot Accept ‘Refugees’
On the evening of Nov. 13, the Islamic State of Iraq and The Levant (ISIL or ISIS) carried out a series of terrorist attacks in Paris and a suburb called Saint-Denis. Among locations attacked were restaurants, bars, a concert hall, and a sports stadium. As of now, the death toll is above 120. That makes it the second-deadliest terror attack on a Western city since 9/11.
Though France had already been at war with ISIS, since it started conducting airstrikes against ISIS in late September, French President Francois Hollande was quick to call the attacks “an act of war” after ISIS claimed responsibility for them.
It should go without question that these gruesome attacks against Parisian civilians were an act of war. However, in the aftermath of the attacks, much of the mainstream media conveniently ignored the jihadist ideology of ISIS. The media generally falls back on a narrative that pretends ISIS has nothing to do with Islam. For example, Piers Morgan tweeted that the Paris attackers are not “real muslims” and they have “hijacked a religion.” President Obama also referred to ISIS as “not Islamic” despite their purporting to be the “Islamic State.” These liberal rhetorical exercises could not be further from the truth. There are several passages in the Quran that promote violence. In addition, the leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, holds a Phd in Islamic theology. If we wish to construct a meaningful, resolute foreign policy that, together with our allies, will ultimately destroy ISIS, we must recognize the link between Islam, radicalized or otherwise, and ISIS.
“I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them.” – Quran (8:12)
In addition to understanding ISIS, the United States and Europe need to reconsider accepting refugees from Syria. Right now, the Obama administration is still committed to letting in 10,000 within the next year. But, soon after the Paris attack some media outlets reported that one of the Paris attackers was a Syrian refugee. This report has not been confirmed, but the attacks still make the case for water-tight borders in Europe rather than their current open-border policy.
Already more than four million refugees from the Middle East have come to Europe since the beginning of the Syrian Civil War, and there are no signs the mass migration will end soon. Western European nations have extended open arms to these unknown people coming from an incredibly radicalized area of the world, and once they have let them in, have made no efforts at assimilation.
While we should be concerned with innocent Syrians who are fleeing for their lives, we must put our own country first. This policy may sound harsh, but the attacks on Friday night have clearly shown the imminent dangers of senseless open border policies.
Some politicians are beginning to understand the inherent dangers in accepting just anyone from a very dangerous area of the world. Rick Snyder, Republican governor of Michigan, suspended his state’s acceptance of Syrian refugees until the U.S. Department of Homeland Security fully reviewed its procedures, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Still, many liberal politicians such as Hillary Clinton have suggested a screening process for allowing in Syrian refugees. The problem is that it is very difficult, if not impossible, to effectively screen for terrorists. Referring to the proposed vetting process, Marco Rubio stated that “There’s no way to vet that out. There’s no background check system in the world that allows us to find that out because who do you call in Syria to background check them?” For this reason, Rubio concluded that the U.S. should not take more refugees.
Rubio is right. These attacks should serve as a wake-up call to the West. We must put the security concerns of our own citizens first. The acceptance of refugees needs to be halted, and ISIS must be defeated.
