It's been two years since U.S. President Donald Trump put together a draft executive order to justify banning people from certain Muslim-majority countries. After being revised several times, a third version of the so-called travel ban went into effect on Dec. 8, 2017.
It came to be known as the "travel ban," however, statistics have proven that in practice, it's really a Muslim ban. Citizens from Muslim-majority countries like Iran, Syria, Libya, Yemen, and Somalia are banned from entering the U.S. as are nationals from North Korea and Venezuela, two non-Muslim countries. The number of immigrant visas issued to nationals of the stated Muslim countries significantly dropped following the ban. However, immigrant visas to non-Muslim countries remained unchanged, according to an analysis of data by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that 31,000 people have been denied entry under Trump's travel ban. Though Morocco isn't part of the banned countries list, it still is a Muslim-majority country. The ban in place resonates with all Muslims, especially when taking into account the anti-Muslim rhetoric that has been painting a different environment for Muslim-Americans under Trump's presidency.
Yet, Ivanka Trump - the president's daughter and part of his administration - had no problem visiting the North African country to preach women's rights to a community she probably thinks lacks "white empowerment." But that's another issue that we've previously delved into. The real issue at hand is the hypocrisy of the entire visit. Muslims welcomed her with open arms, but the U.S. can't welcome all Muslims in the same manner?
Trump received a "warm welcome." Under her father's administration, Muslims rarely ever get a warm welcome.
Yes, it's true that Morocco isn't on the list of banned countries, but it is a country with a population comprised of 98 percent Muslims — so that has to count for something, right?
Miss Trump works for her father's administration and is part of his ruling system, a scheme that has broken families apart and led to a rise in Islamophobic attitudes in the U.S. So what is she doing in a Muslim-majority country if the administration she's associated with fears, hates, and synonymizes Muslims with terrorists? Even worse, an administration that has prompted a spike in hate crimes against Muslims in the U.S.
A 2018 study published by researchers at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom also revealed that Trump's anti-Muslim tweets were a reliable predictor of the level of attacks against Muslims during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign, and onward into the first few months following his election. Over the years, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has reported an unparalleled rise in bigotry targeting Muslim-Americans, immigrants, and other minority groups since he was elected president.
Is it really fair that Ivanka got a very warm welcome (her words, not mine) upon arrival to Morocco, a Muslim-majority country, because international relations somehow make it obligatory ... while Muslims visiting or residing in the U.S. often get told to "go back to their country?"
Her own father, the president of the U.S., unashamedly told Democratic congresswomen (who, mind you, are mostly American-born) to "go back and help fix the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came from" earlier this year. Among the Congresswomen he was most likely referring to are two Muslim Reps: Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib.
Is it comforting to know that Miss Trump was offered traditional staples such as milk and dates, a soft sofa to sit on, and hospitality from all corners ... but all the U.S. can offer Muslims are random security checks and deportations at airports?
All this is just a slice of the Islamophobic pie the U.S. has been serving its people for quite some time.
Ivanka Trump has attempted to flaunt support towards the Muslim community in the U.S. and even wished them a "happy Eid" earlier this year. But her hypocrisy hasn't slid past people in the past.
"Your father is bigoted against Muslims of all nationalities. Your duplicity is despicable," one user wrote in response to her Eid tweet.
Ivanka's official title is "Senior Advisor to the President," but as the BBC points out, the fact that she is the president's daughter suggests her role is much bigger than just the name.
She has defended her role in her father's administration previously and has voiced support for the president as well, saying she believes he is "helping all Americans." Maybe she meant only people who fit his mold of what an American should be. She has even defended her father against charges of racism after he obviously said racist things. So is her judgement on such issues really credible? If she can't tell the difference between a racist and non-racist ... can she really tell the difference between Islamophobic decisions and inclusive ones?
After all, Ivanka did once say that she got her moral compass from her father. His moral compass basically gave birth to his discrimination and bigotry towards minority groups. If she got her moral compass from the president, she must be following his xenophobic footsteps.
Was she attempting to fight her fears during her recent visit to Morocco? Or did she brush those attitudes aside to further her agenda as a "women's rights activist?"
It's a shame that the U.S. government terrorizes many Muslims, with the exception of those with money ... or those who will help them further their agenda in some way. In Ivanka's case, women in rural areas in Morocco were the backbone of her PR strategy. Without them, she wouldn't have been able to promote her "Women's Global Development and Prosperity Initiative". Talk about moral compass, right?
