Justice Anthony Kennedy retired, another bombshell news erupted this week. To me it is a good news. Appointed by Ronald Reagan, Anthony Kennedy is known as a swing justice on different court rulings. Over the years, he became a darling of abortion and same-sex marriage groups. It does not seem he has much regard for sanctity of life and of marriage. James Dobson once called him ‘the most dangerous man in America’. A bitter fight is sure to follow over the next appointment of Supreme Court.
Another major victory for Trump is travel ban over 7 nations: Iran, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, North Korea, and Venezuela. Since 5 of these 7 nations have Muslim majority population, it is called Muslim Ban. Writing in Washington Post, E.J.Dionne compared it to Christian baker case, called Christian vs Muslim bias.
“A profound mistrust of the court will only be aggravated by the contrast between its approach to the travel ban and its method in an earlier 7-to-2 ruling in favor of a baker who did not want to sell a wedding cake to a gay couple.
The cake decision uses statements by a Colorado regulator critical of religion to decry “religious hostility on the part of the State itself.” The five-justice majority then turns around in the travel-ban case, as Sotomayor noted, and “completely sets aside the President’s charged statements about Muslims as irrelevant.” In the first, involving Christians, the court went out of its way to protect religious liberty. In the second, involving Muslims, it went out of its way to insist that religious-liberty concerns did not apply.”
First, it is evident that Trump’s travel ban is focused on Muslims, that too a select few. 17 of 19 terrorists who orchestrated September 11 attacks came from Saudi Arabia but it did not make in the list because Saudi Royal family has been a ‘good friend’ to US government. Pakistan, world’s capital of Islamic terrorism did not make into the list because of its being a US partner for over 50 years. Afghanistan did not make into the list. It is the power house of Taliban. Iraq did not make into the final list though it is the ground zero for ISIS. The geopolitical calculations are evident in this list. But that is what a government is for in foreign relations!
However, EJ.Dionne completely got it wrong. Entering into the United States is a privilege for a foreigner, not a right. This is true for any nation. I can not demand England to give me entrance because it is my human right. Governments exercise discernment and decide who they should allow into their country.
At the height of Syrian conflagration, ISIS was mercilessly killing Christians in Iraq and Syria. But Obama administration relocated more Muslims than Christians to the United States. Where was E.J.Dionne and others to call on Obama administration for this discrimination against Christians?
Government should also realize that all religions are not the same. Allowing 5 million Muslims into the United States is not the same as allowing 5 million Jews. Because most of the religious terrorism in our world come from Muslims, not any other religion. In Germany, the Islamic antisemitism is exploding due to massive Muslim immigration.
The US Supreme Court got it right in that federal government can use its discretion in deciding on matters of immigration. The religious beliefs of an individual should be taken into consideration in matters of immigration. As I said earlier, immigration is not a right, only a privilege.
Peace!