Opinion: This is a Muslim ban, don’t lie to yourselves

As a Muslim American, the actions and choices that President Donald Trump has made this week are angering, but also extremely alarming. This, while extremely controversial, is very similar to an event that took place in 1939.

A German ocean liner St Louis with over 900 passengers on board were turned away from a Miami port, sending them back to Europe. 254 of those passengers were later killed in the Holocaust. With this, the U.S. also restricted Jewish immigration and instituted new vetting procedures – because of overblown fears that the Nazis might smuggle spies. Sound familiar?

This ban is restricting many refugees from entering safe territory and sending them back to their countries that are in times of war. Sending refugees back puts their lives in danger, and many have already been killed.

In addition to banning Syrian refugees, the president has also ordered a ban of the nationals of seven predominantly Muslim countries: Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. It may be said that this ban will make America safer from terrorists, but remember, between 2001 and 2015, more Americans were killed by homegrown terrorists than by foreign-born extremists. This is a Muslim ban, don’t lie to yourselves. Our religion is OUR business and we have the freedom to practice what we choose, a belief that this country was built upon, a belief that has persuaded millions to leave their home countries and come to the United States of America, the land of the free.

Instead of building a wall to separate us from other countries, build a wall between church and state. We made this same mistake during the Holocaust, denying Jews like Anne Frank into our country; we said how “terrible it was” and “never again”, well “again” is now, so let’s not make the same mistakes we made in 1939.

Let them in.