John,

We often do not see eye to eye on political and cultural issues. I celebrate these differences and take the time engage your posts. Although my responses are usually filled with frustration, I respect you and understand that your intentions are honorable. This subject is incredibly important to me because I know many people that have escaped unimaginable horror and are desperately waiting for a country to grant them asylum. Out of respect for their sacrifices and hardship, I find it incredibly necessary to publicly demonstrate how some points from this video are just flat wrong.

You said that he is not banning refugees.

Wrong.

You also said, “It is literally a 7 territory temporary restriction.”

This is simply not true.

You also make an emotional and spiritual plea for people to stop calling it a Muslim ban. This plea is dangerous. It discourages one of the last defenses of democracy: protest. Using the hashtag #MuslimBan is a response to the claim that it is not the administration’s intent to ban Muslims. Although the order does not explicitly ban all Muslims, we have surmounting evidence that it is the administrations intent to effectively do just that. Shouting “No Muslim ban!” is the equivalent to calling bull shit on the administrations claim that a Muslim ban is not their intention.

If you feel a religious conviction to defend the rights of the oppressed, then you have a duty to stand on the offensive and boldly assert the agenda of this administration.

Call it a Muslim ban and vocalize support for the Federal court’s stay on the executive order.

I am going to get into the weeds of the executive order and the context of its implementation to demonstrate my points.

1. Why this is a ban on refugees:

This executive order calls for a complete shutdown of the Refugee Admissions Program for 120 days. “The Secretary of State shall suspend the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) for 120 days.” This shutdown applies to all refugees from any country. It is not restricting admission, it is banning it. It is completely appropriate to call it a refugee ban.

2. Why it is inappropriate to call this a 7 territory temporary restriction:

Using the word “restriction” implies that the number of applicants for visas and asylum status have merely been reduced.

It has not.

It has been completely suspended.

This ban is effectively indefinite and is not limited to the 7 countries listed in the Ban.

Here is why:

First of all, the order explicitly states that the ban on Syrian refugees is indefinite:

“I hereby proclaim that the entry of nationals of Syria as refugees is detrimental to the interests of the United States and thus suspend any such entry until such time as I have determined that sufficient changes have been made to the USRAP to ensure that admission of Syrian refugees is consistent with the national interest.”

Secondly, there are specific provisions in the order that allow the Security Council to extend the total refugee ban indefinitely.

“Upon the date that is 120 days after the date of this order, the Secretary of State shall resume USRAP admissions only for nationals of countries for which the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence have jointly determined that such additional procedures are adequate to ensure the security and welfare of the United States.”

The wording of this is extremely significant. In order for the ban to be lifted, all three agencies need to be in agreement. The reason that I highlighted the Director of National Intelligence is because of its recent re-positioning within the President’s National Security Council. Just as Steve Bannon (the creator of the order) was included in this council, the Director of National Intelligence was dropped to a lower tier of influence. All of this is very suspicious. This gives Steve Bannon frightening influence over the process of granting refugee admission. Remember, this is the man that has already decided that these people have no place here.

The ban is not limited to the 7 original countries.

The executive order stated that there will be a 60 day period where the intelligence community will review the security threat in other countries to determine whether or not they should be included in the travel ban.

“After the 60-day period described in subsection (d) of this section expires, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, shall submit to the President a list of countries recommended for inclusion on a Presidential proclamation that would prohibit the entry of foreign nationals”

This is significant for multiple reasons.

First, it implies that the administration is anticipating to broaden the ban.

If within the 60 days of the initial 90 day travel ban the administration decides to include more countries in the ban, one has to conclude that the administration will extend the length of the ban. Seeing that the administration found it necessary to make the Syrian Refugee ban indefinite, it would not be a stretch for them to extend the travel ban indefinitely.

Side point: Every time you hear people argue that this list of countries was created under the Obama administration; remember, the Trump administration wants to include more, but just needs time to justify their inclusion.

Secondly, it supports the notion that Steven Bannon (the creator of the order) is actively looking for the legal justification to establish a broad indefinite immigration ban that effectively discriminates against Muslims. #MuslimBan

There is strong reason to infer this motive in Bannon. He is on record of supporting the total and resolute ban of refugees and Muslim immigration. He argued, “Why even let ’em in?” “Can’t that money be used in the United States?” The fact that we have record of him stating these beliefs should prompt us to look for ways this ban could take incremental steps towards achieving this goal. This 60 day review period is one of many sly attempts to do just that.

Broad stretching discrimination is never implemented immediately. It is always presented in incremental steps. As a result, with just the right propaganda spin, the beginning stages of fascism feel almost justifiable. I really, really hope I’m wrong and this is not a Muslim ban.

But what is worse?

1. A few people are wrong about the motives of the this administration

or

2. We never question this administration and as a result we permit the formation of a fascist autocratic state?

Remember, the world does not end in a bang, but a whimper. It is our job to make a bang to prevent the lights from going out.

#MuslimBan #RESISTANCE