Few people are more distraught by President Donald Trump’s executive order barring citizens of seven Middle Eastern and African countries from the U.S. than the leaders of a community he said he seeks to help: the region’s Christians.
Mr. Trump’s order, issued last Friday and aimed at preventing terrorist attacks on American soil, suspended travel from these Muslim-majority countries for at least 90 days. It also ordered a revamping of the U.S. refugee admission process to prioritize those who suffer religious persecution—but only if the applicants follow a “minority religion” in their country.
Most of the violence in the Middle East, however, is between Sunni and Shiite Muslims who both follow the same religion (Sunnis are a minority in Iraq and a majority in Syria). Speaking to the Christian Broadcasting Network last week, Mr. Trump said he meant to single out Christians, followers of by far the largest minority faith in the Middle East.
“They’ve been treated horribly,” he said. “We are going to help them.”
That may be good news for a few thousand Middle Eastern Christians aiming to move to the U.S.—but also a troubling message for the roughly 13 million who won’t. While White House officials reject depictions of Mr. Trump’s executive order as a Muslim ban, it has been widely portrayed in the region as consistent with his campaign rhetoric regarding Muslims entering the U.S.
Mr. Trump’s order, issued last Friday and aimed at preventing terrorist attacks on American soil, suspended travel from these Muslim-majority countries for at least 90 days. It also ordered a revamping of the U.S. refugee admission process to prioritize those who suffer religious persecution—but only if the applicants follow a “minority religion” in their country.
Most of the violence in the Middle East, however, is between Sunni and Shiite Muslims who both follow the same religion (Sunnis are a minority in Iraq and a majority in Syria). Speaking to the Christian Broadcasting Network last week, Mr. Trump said he meant to single out Christians, followers of by far the largest minority faith in the Middle East.
“They’ve been treated horribly,” he said. “We are going to help them.”
That may be good news for a few thousand Middle Eastern Christians aiming to move to the U.S.—but also a troubling message for the roughly 13 million who won’t. While White House officials reject depictions of Mr. Trump’s executive order as a Muslim ban, it has been widely portrayed in the region as consistent with his campaign rhetoric regarding Muslims entering the U.S.
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