RNC is allowing overt racism to persist in a country deeply rooted in religious freedom.
By Melissa Salyk-Virk
NEW YORK: In the past few weeks, the world has watched acts of terror across Africa, Europe and the Middle East unfold into a painful aftermath of hatred. Not only has this hate rhetoric spread like wildfire, it is impacting the United States in a powerful way as the candidates for presidential office are exploiting American Muslims as opportunities for anti-ISIS propaganda.
Reinhold Reince Priebus, head of the Republican National Committee (RNC), has the responsibility to prevent all of this rhetoric from being propagated during this campaign season. Granted, this is a concern for all of the candidates across party lines, but the primary propagators have been a handful of GOP candidates pushing for activities targeting Muslims as a part of their campaign platforms. Not only is it unforgiving and un-American, it is a sure-fire way for ISIS (also referred to as Daesh, ISIL, IS, al Sham) to recruit new members with ease.
There has been an increase in anti-Muslim hate speech across the United States, and millions of Muslim Americans across the country have to deal with possible repercussions. Over the past few years, Islamophobia has been gaining traction in the United States, and now after the aforementioned attacks, it is quickly gaining further support.
By permitting this type of rhetoric from presidential candidates in debates, open forums along the campaign trail, interviews, and even social media, the RNC is allowing overt racism to persist in a country deeply rooted in religious freedom. Yes, I’ll accept that this Constitutional right has been slightly tainted by individuals in history based on the religion of preference at the time, but the fundamental purpose of the first amendment was to not have an established religion of the nation and the freedom to freely worship how one wanted. And this isn’t about free speech; it’s about perpetrating hate speech nationwide.
What’s even more disconcerting is that the RNC is permitting candidates to indoctrinate the American public with the idea that vast atrocities that have occurred in the United States are at the hands of Muslims. This mass spreading of ignorant messaging by candidates to gain higher poll numbers preys on the fear of the average American. In fact, most of the violence and home-grown US terrorism is not from Islamist fundamentalist groups at all. It’s from other radical activist groups. Linking this to our current refugee crisis (emigrating from a country that happens to be predominantly Muslim), the anti-Islam accepted speech is actually aiding ISIS. This push for an anti-immigrant nation, creating an “us and them” dichotomy, helps ISIS’ cause in recruiting those who are weak and feel ostracized. They seek to acquire territory and operate as a state through the power of fear and dominance. And, they do this through acts of barbarism and spreading terror. They have been primarily recruiting through social media in the West, with specific tactics for young men and women respectively, and are able to use the anti-Islam speech reported daily through American media to advocate and justify their terrorism.
Although the conquering methods used by ISIS are inhumane and disturbing, the recruitment methods mainly focus on their cause and what young people can bring to the fight. The more we ostracize our Muslim neighbors, the more ISIS thrives. It allows them to further their message to try to prove that America is not accepting or open. And, the caliphate ISIS continues to try to build will be built on the promises of a better life, an anti-Western sentiment, and the promise that these men and women are contributing to a divine purpose.
The more we permit this rhetoric, particularly by those who are running for President, the more unaccepting and close-minded we become. The demonization of Islam in this country is enough of a reason for these young people to be coaxed by ISIS. This unabashed hateful oratory in the debates is distorting a religion rooted in peace and community. While we stand by and watch bigotry run rampant, we are allowing ISIS to prey on young men and women who are eager to belong. And, the open-arms policy that our country once prided itself on has become a grotesque version of itself.
(The writer is a master’s candidate at NYU.)