American Muslims’ nightmare comes true

CHICAGO: Muslims across America have greeted the news of Donald Trump’s victory with a mixture of shock and concern in the seismic aftermath of the 2016 presidential election.

“I could not believe that someone with that kind of a negative campaign could win the vote. A Trump presidency means intensified boldness on the part of racist and bigoted elements in the country,” said Sarah Haider, an active member of the Muslim community in Houston, Texas.

A mother of two, Haider is still reeling from the wave of disbelief that has swept much of the country.  She claimed that her school-going children were concerned about their safety.

“Children are not immune to the political environment in this country. They heard on TV that he was very much against Muslims and he wanted to kick them out,” she said.



Haider, who runs a Muslim orphans’ advocacy group in the densely Republican state, claimed that her 9-year-old daughter was concerned about being forced to leave the United States once Trump takes charge in Washington.

“The bigger problem is not Trump, but everyone who has been emboldened by his rhetoric to attack minorities in this country.”

Haider urges Muslims to engage in the society to dispel the myth that haunts the Muslim community in the United States. “We need to embrace our identity but not be insular about it,” the 48-year-old said. “My biggest fear is that my children will shy away from identifying as Muslims in Trump’s era,” the concerned mother added.

Even hours after the Republican candidate’s improbable victory, many in America woke up with their stomachs in knots. Rizwan Kadir, a Chicago-based business consultant, who was optimistic that Hillary Clinton would win the election, said he retired to bed hoping a miracle would salvage the Democratic candidate, who was sinking in the early poll results. But that did not happen.

“Despite the odds, I was hoping that through some political miracle Hillary would be president by the time I wake up in the morning,” Kadir said with profound disappointment in his voice.

Stunned by the GOP leader’s victory, Kadir pointed out that the Republican Party is officially in the driving seat after gaining control of the house.

“Trump has secured the presidency, his party controls the Senate and that is scary,” the Chicago-based consultant cautioned.

Many feel that the president-elect took Islamophobic tendencies to new levels when he famously proclaimed that the United States needed to implement a total shutdown of Muslims entering the country.

Commenting on Trump’s victory and its impact on the society, Linda K. Wertheimer, a Boston-based author, who has written extensively about religion and intolerance, expressed concerns over the newly-elected president’s divisive tone during the election campaign.

“I think this election sends a very intimidating message to the minorities in America, to those who are not white or Christian or for that matter are not male,” the author said.



Rare supporter

While most American Muslims appeared to loathe Trump’s offensive remarks against the community, Talat Rashid, a staunch Republican Party office bearer in Bolingbrook admires the newly-elected president. Rashid believes Trump’s intentions towards the Muslim community in America are not negative.

He urged Muslims to take part in the political process to have their voices heard.

“Muslims in this country should become more proactive and have strategic outreach to the Republicans,” Rashid said. “We cannot afford to remain partisan and support only the Democratic Party,” the 62-year-old businessman added.

Rashid said he had faith in the Republican leader’s ability to deliver on his promises.

“Trump will deliver whatever he has promised because he’s not a politician. He is a businessman,” he said. Rashid, who serves as an elected member of the Illinois Republican Party, has also been an adviser to Donald Trump and plans to attend his inauguration in January 2017 – come what may.

As the only Muslim to have served as Trump’s adviser from the state of Illinois, Rashid insists that the Republican leader’s comments about Muslims have been taken out of context.

Others believe the GOP leader has sparked an unnecessary hate campaign against Muslims and Mexicans in the country.  Chris Skrable, associate director for Community-based Research and Experiential Learning at the University of Chicago, expressed disappointment over the Republican leader’s vitriolic rhetoric against minorities.

“Trump has indulged in race-baiting. His language inflames existing prejudices,” the 43-year-old said. “Racist organisations will probably be rejuvenated under his administration,” Skrable added.

Aside from his flagrant Islamophobia, Donald Trump has also made abhorrent statements about many other disenfranchised groups within America. Cesar Torres, a 42-year professor at the Northwestern University, who hails from Mexico, said that he was disappointed by Trump’s comments about the Latino community in America.

“I did not feel the emotion of fear but I still feel an anger that so many people support the views of Donald Trump,” Torres said.

Torres encouraged defiance in the face of hate and bigotry.

“We can’t be afraid because he wants us to be afraid and I refuse to give that power to him,” he added.



Perturbed by the unexpected success of Donald Trump in the presidential election, Benjamin Anderson, a 31-year-old graduate student at the school of Social Work at University of Illinois, said he was afraid of the far right white racists, who have been directly empowered by the Republican leader’s rhetoric.

“It is especially scary as it would seem that the hate crimes will increase as white racists gain more power in this country under Donald Trump,” said Anderson, who is also an active social worker.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 11^th, 2016.