How is the 2016 campaign affecting America’s Muslim community?
Head to the comments to share your thoughts.
In the wake of the deadly terrorist attacks in Brussels, a political battle was reignited over the question: How should America treat Muslim Americans amid concerns about terrorism?
The issue has shaped much of the country’s political discourse this election season, heightened by Donald Trump’s controversial call for “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States” following the attacks in San Bernadino, Calif.
Tuesday, candidates weighed in on the issue again:
Ted Cruz (R) said in a statement: “We need to immediately halt the flow of refugees from countries with a significant al Qaida or ISIS presence. We need to empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized.”
Donald Trump (R) said that Cruz’s plan is “a good idea” and that if the authorities had tortured the Paris bombing suspect they recently took into custody in Brussels, he might have provided them with information they could have used to prevent Tuesday’s attacks.
John Kasich (R) struck a different tone on Cruz’s proposition: “We are not at war with Islam. We are at war with radical Islam.”
Hillary Clinton (D), meanwhile, tweeted “Muslim Americans: this is your country, too. These kinds of proposals are dangerous, hateful, and beneath us.”
Bernie Sanders (D) said: “We are fighting a terrorist organization, a barbaric organization that is killing innocent people. We are not fighting a religion.”
“We have a lot of work to do.”
The Post traveled across the country talking to people in early voting states to learn about the forces at play in this election, and the people who were directly impacted by them. Among those our reporters found were Fatima Salman and Ismail Fersat , members of America’s Muslim community who reflected on what it’s like to live in America during this election season.
Fatima Salman, organizer with Technical Assistance Center in Detroit, who grew up in the Detroit suburbs:
“It shows we have a lot of work to do. We have to work overtime to overcome all the negatives. . . . Trump by himself has changed Muslim life so much. The fear of the other. Everything they were saying at that town hall was what he was saying.”
Ismail Fersat, a Muslim from Turkey and a successful entrepreneur who runs his own granite countertop business, is still two years away from citizenship:
“For me, the key is democracy. I feel that if the people can tell honestly and confidently what they think without any fear, no matter what religion they belong to, what culture they belong to, that to me is democracy.”
Join the conversation: We’re interested in hearing from members of America’s Muslim community like Fatima or Ismail about what they think of the 2016 election. What issues are most important to you? Which candidate do support and why? Have you switched candidates based on statements they’ve made during the race? Do you feel hopeful about the future for the country, or are you worried about where it’s headed? If so, why? Tell us in the comments below.
Read more voter perspectives from our Looking for America series at The Washington Post.
