Sunday, January 29, 2017

Are the religious tests location-specific?



Please keep in mind that this rant is about media bias.

Before I get to that, I thought that we wanted a government blind to a person’s religion. We saw what happened in Germany. Also, I thought we wanted Congress to determine immigration policy. True, I did not object when President Obama made it easier for people to come here from Mexico, without the consent of Congress. I figured that people who come here from Mexico to work have it hard enough. I admit to that bias.

President Obama’s decisions on enforcement of immigration policy did not raise First Amendment issues, as President Trump’s decisions probably will. However, I heard Reince Priebus say on Face The Nation this morning that Muslim minority members will be given some slack in President Trump’s restrictions, as well as Christians. This makes things a little different in my mind. We’re still using a religious test, but it makes the issue more political, and not just religious. 

The conflicts between Shia and Sunni Muslims are political as well as religious. The Sunni members of ISIS want to kill Shia Muslims just as much - if not more than - Christians. The fact that exceptions apply to Muslim minorities is an important detail for the media to leave out. Face The Nation even left it out of their article on this morning’s interview with Priebus. I found a mention of it in New York Magazine.

So, here’s my question for the media: Are the religious tests location-specific? That is, if a person is trying to come here from ISIS-controlled and Sunni-dominated Syria, will he or she find it easier if he or she claims to be Shia? Iran is predominantly Shia, and persecutes Sunni Muslims. If a person is trying to get here from Iran, will he or she find it easier if he or she claims to be Sunni? If so, the issue becomes more of a political and security issue than a religious one.

If the religious tests are location-specific, Reince Priebus, why haven’t you said so? Are you afraid of disappointing those who want to keep all Muslims out of the country? I didn’t hear President Trump say anything about exceptions for Muslim minorities when he announced the travel restrictions. 

If the religious tests are not location-specific, do the exceptions apply only to Christians traveling here from Iran? Won’t that make it more difficult for persecuted Sunnis to get out of Iran? Don’t we want to help all people who are trying to get out of Iran because they face religious persecution there?

Dear Mainstream Media: I agree that religious tests are hare-brained and un-American, but please let us reach that conclusion on our own. Ask more questions. Explain the conflict between Shia and Sunni Muslims. You damage your credibility when you leave out important information and sensationalize the actions of public officials. Not only that, but you give more credibility to public officials who claim that you have a political agenda. You guys are supposed to be objective and unbiased, even on hot-button issues.

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