Why Are People So Scared of Syrian Refugees?

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ISTM that it might be more inhumane to bring Syrian refugees into the Untied States, into a culture that is completely alien to them. It would be far more humane to finance their settling in predominantly Muslim countries near by. They will be far more comfortable with the culture, and closer to Syria should they choose to return home following the conflict.
Finally, American dollars used on this effort would be far better spent providing supplies for living, as opposed to spending huge numbers of dollars on transportation.

Jon
This is what I’ve been trying to say-on online forums, but not as articulately as you, for the Muslim population. America could still provide a lot of aid in that direction.
I’m wondering, though, what about the small amount of Syrian Christians refugees, though, I’m assuming they would rather not be resettled in a Muslim country where they could not practice their faith freely?
 
Since when is being a Muslim a race? I thought it was a religion.
It sure is a religion, and not a race. I didn’t say it was a race though. “White people” is a race, kind of at least, although it’s been a fairly flexible people-group.
 
Why are people so afraid of Syrian refugees? Because they are buying into a narrative that ISIS/ISIL/Daesh is selling, and are perhaps not very aware of some of the basic facts concerning what’s happened.
No one is afraid of legitimate Syrian refugees. People are concerned about the infiltration of the Syrian refugees population by ISIS terrorist fighters.

Radical Islam has declared war against the West. 911, terrorist bombings worldwide, mass beheading and crucifixions of Christians, wholesale slaughter of innocent Parisians, blowing up a Russian airplane, kidnapping and murders in Mali, ad infinitum…

Is there any doubt that radical Islam is at war with the West?

People are concerned with the vetting process for Syrian refugees, as there are no background checks that could discern a refugee’s ties with terrorism.

How exactly do you propose we differentiate between a legitimate Syrian refugee and an ISIS supporter?

If the head of the FBI and related intelligence agencies, half the country’s governors, and the majority of the House of Representatives are all sounding the alarm bell, then why shouldn’t the American people feel likewise? Especially considering the average American doesn’t have accessed to the same classified intelligence reports that these government officials do.

What about the 900+ ongoing investigations into ISIS-related terrorist activity on U.S. soil? And you want to add more fuel to the fire by sending in even more potential radical jihadists to this country?

What hubris, arrogance to suggest the American people are not welcoming to refugees. We are. We’re the most benevolent country in the world when it comes to helping others. What we don’t want is another 911 or Paris terrorist attack on American soil. It’s really not that challenging to understand our reticence and concerns.

What country at war invites an unknown population from enemy soil into their country with no strings attached? With no prior background criminal checks beforehand?

And why isn’t Saudi Arabia or any of these other Middle Eastern countries stepping up to the plate to accept these refugees? Why America?
 
No one is afraid of legitimate Syrian refugees. People are concerned about the infiltration of the Syrian refugees population by ISIS terrorist fighters.
That is true, but based on what? Evidently, it’s based on the threat that ISIS will infiltrate in this way, and then an attack happened in Paris that managed to involve one or two such people in ways that were not really critical to the success of the attack. Rather, it was an existing level of cooperation between Belgian and French jihadists alongside a lack of cooperation between Belgian and French intelligence that made the thing go. (Plus some exposed vulnerabilities in the prevailing notion of the Schengen Zone). Syrian infiltration was not actually a critical part of this thing, but people are making it seem like it was.
Radical Islam has declared war against the West. 911, terrorist bombings worldwide, mass beheading and crucifixions of Christians, wholesale slaughter of innocent Parisians, blowing up a Russian airplane, kidnapping and murders in Mali, ad infinitum…
Is there any doubt that radical Islam is at war with the West?
They have more than enough people here already. They can get stuff done…Already. Wherever “here” is for you, I promise there are enough people working on behalf of ISIS that already live in your country who can carry out whatever they’re going to do. So you can let a bunch of refugees in and do a Little Bit of extra work to keep everyone safe, or you can screw a bunch of people over and then you’ve still got approximately the same sort of challenging job on your hands anyway.

People talk about one poisoned Skittle out of a whole bag, as if we don’t have a bunch of poisoned Skittles here already, and those are the people that are going to be mission-critical for whatever the mission is.

Does it sound like I’m aware that we are at war?
People are concerned with the vetting process for Syrian refugees, as there are no background checks that could discern a refugee’s ties with terrorism.
How exactly do you propose we differentiate between a legitimate Syrian refugee and an ISIS supporter?
I’m pretty sure someone else posted a helpful link that explains that sort of thing in some detail.
What hubris, arrogance to suggest the American people are not welcoming to refugees. We are.
Kind of depends on which state you’re talking about though, doesn’t it?
We’re the most benevolent country in the world when it comes to helping others. What we don’t want is another 911 or Paris terrorist attack on American soil. It’s really not that challenging to understand our reticence and concerns.
Most benevolent country in the world? There are quite a few other countries that have more displaced people per capita, that’s for sure, and there’s a whole lot of countries that have spent a higher percentage of their GDP on this sort of thing. If that statement were checked by Politifact, the word “misleading” would show up at some point.

I think I do kind of understand the reticence and concerns, but I would understand it better if I believed that the Paris attack could not have happened without the presence of migrants from Syria. As far as I can tell, it absolutely could have happened just as it did without their involvement, and the only thing of consequence that’s truly tied to the people in question is that they’re trying to poison the relationship between the Eurozone and a specific type of refugee.
What country at war invites an unknown population from enemy soil into their country with no strings attached? With no prior background criminal checks beforehand?
Depends what kinds of people are trying to leave the country. I normally hate to bring Nazi Germany into the discussion, but by your logic, it sounds like you wouldn’t be able to make sense of the US relocating Jews from Germany while simultaneously being at war with Germany. Just doesn’t compute. Why would anyone do that?
And why isn’t Saudi Arabia or any of these other Middle Eastern countries stepping up to the plate to accept these refugees? Why America?
Saudi Arabia does have some Syrians living within its borders, although it’s unclear exactly when they got there and whether it relates to the Assad thing or the ISIS thing. It’s also unclear how many because Saudi is not very transparent or forthcoming with these sorts of figures, but in the absence of total clarity, some people choose to believe they have done absolutely nothing. I’m not one of those people, I choose to say it’s not clear exactly what Saudi Arabia has been choosing to do. Other Middle Eastern countries have been a mixed bag, some have been very accommodating though.

As for “Why America?” Well, we kind of created this thing. We are the ones who destabilized Iraq, and we have been involved fairly directly with the people who made ISIS what it is today. Another reason is that we’d prefer to have some type of influence in the region and not just leave that to Russia. You think we should step aside, distance ourselves, and allow Putin to be the main person that the rest of the world is looking to? I doubt that you actually want that, but that’s where this line of reasoning would take us.

And there is one more reason, actually. As ISIS was watching all these people leave the country, they expressed concern about what those people would get into once they left. They were especially worried that a lot of these people would choose to leave Islam and become Christians or non-religious. Well…I like the sound of that. Let’s help some people leave Islam behind, and let’s make sure as many as possible are becoming Christians.

And for goodness’ sake, especially on this type of forum, let’s not be bashful about saying that.
 
=badnewsbarrett;13457041]
They have more than enough people here already. They can get stuff done…Already. Wherever “here” is for you, I promise there are enough people working on behalf of ISIS that already live in your country who can carry out whatever they’re going to do. So you can let a bunch of refugees in and do a Little Bit of extra work to keep everyone safe, or you can screw a bunch of people over and then you’ve still got approximately the same sort of challenging job on your hands anyway.
So, since there are already Islamic radicals here, letting a few more in is okay?
People talk about one poisoned Skittle out of a whole bag, as if we don’t have a bunch of poisoned Skittles here already, and those are the people that are going to be mission-critical for whatever the mission is.
See my question above.
Kind of depends on which state you’re talking about though, doesn’t it?
Most benevolent country in the world? There are quite a few other countries that have more displaced people per capita, that’s for sure, and there’s a whole lot of countries that have spent a higher percentage of their GDP on this sort of thing. If that statement were checked by Politifact, the word “misleading” would show up at some point.
Historically, the Marshall plan, for example. The United States has been and remains today the most benevolent country in the world.
I think I do kind of understand the reticence and concerns, but I would understand it better if I believed that the Paris attack could not have happened without the presence of migrants from Syria. As far as I can tell, it absolutely could have happened just as it did without their involvement, and the only thing of consequence that’s truly tied to the people in question is that they’re trying to poison the relationship between the Eurozone and a specific type of refugee.
Depends what kinds of people are trying to leave the country. I normally hate to bring Nazi Germany into the discussion, but by your logic, it sounds like you wouldn’t be able to make sense of the US relocating Jews from Germany while simultaneously being at war with Germany. Just doesn’t compute. Why would anyone do that?
So, how many Jews from Germany had threatened terrorist attacks in Europe and the United States during WW II? The argument doesn’t wash, because the situation is radically different. There was no radical Judaism that intended a world-wide jihad.
Saudi Arabia does have some Syrians living within its borders, although it’s unclear exactly when they got there and whether it relates to the Assad thing or the ISIS thing. It’s also unclear how many because Saudi is not very transparent or forthcoming with these sorts of figures, but in the absence of total clarity, some people choose to believe they have done absolutely nothing. I’m not one of those people, I choose to say it’s not clear exactly what Saudi Arabia has been choosing to do. Other Middle Eastern countries have been a mixed bag, some have been very accommodating though.
Good. that’s where they should go, culturally, and we should help. That’s the truly benevolent thing to do.
As for “Why America?” Well, we kind of created this thing. We are the ones who destabilized Iraq, and we have been involved fairly directly with the people who made ISIS what it is today
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Disagree, unless your point is that we have supported Israel since 1948. Our involvement in the defeat of Sadam doesn’t play into the fact that there are two things they want from us: 1) convert to Islam or die, and 2) help them defeat Israel.
And there is one more reason, actually. As ISIS was watching all these people leave the country, they expressed concern about what those people would get into once they left. They were especially worried that a lot of these people would choose to leave Islam and become Christians or non-religious. Well…I like the sound of that. Let’s help some people leave Islam behind, and let’s make sure as many as possible are becoming Christians.
Which comes to the definition of “moderate Muslims”. Mine is those who allow free religious exercise, and allows people to freely convert if they choose to.
On the other hand, I wouldn’t expect any significant number of Muslims to convert, simply because they emigrate to non-Muslim countries.

Jon
 
I believe the Fort Hood Shooter was born in the US - did you want him to be ‘vetted’ in the womb or something?

There are a lot of crazy people in the US with access to guns - they don’t need to be in the army to have lots of fire power. They are far more dangerous than these refugees.
So it will be OK to welcome more crazy people who have sworn to kill Americans into our country???
 
Suppose a boatload of German refugees arrived on our shores in 1944, and reported they were escaping the violence of WWII, and there was no way to verify that they weren’t agents of the German government?

I think there would be a lot of trepidation in just admitting them to the country.

We are in a similar situation today, determining which of the people presenting themselves as refugees aren’t just agents of the Islamic State is very difficult.
 
Suppose a boatload of German refugees arrived on our shores in 1944, and reported they were escaping the violence of WWII, and there was no way to verify that they weren’t agents of the German government?

I think there would be a lot of trepidation in just admitting them to the country.

We are in a similar situation today, determining which of the people presenting themselves as refugees aren’t just agents of the Islamic State is very difficult.
You are aware I didn’t write the article…right?
:cool:
 
So, since there are already Islamic radicals here, letting a few more in is okay?
I’m saying it wouldn’t be any reason to raise the terror threat level any more than it otherwise would be, and we should also balance that against the tremendous amount of good we can do for completely innocent people who lost their homes to somebody’s bombs (maybe ours) and are genuinely fleeing either or both ISIS and the Assad regime.
Historically, the Marshall plan, for example. The United States has been and remains today the most benevolent country in the world.
We are up there, but Jordan might have something to say about the “most benevolent country” title.
So, how many Jews from Germany had threatened terrorist attacks in Europe and the United States during WW II? The argument doesn’t wash, because the situation is radically different. There was no radical Judaism that intended a world-wide jihad.
No Jews from Germany had threatened terrorist attacks in Europe. However, the initial statement indicated that it never makes any sense for a country to accept refugees from a country which it is a war with- and by the way, I don’t believe the US has actually declared war on the nation of Syria, and as far as I know Obama is backing off from his preference to ovethrow the Assad regime. So yes, it is a completely different situation, given that our country hasn’t even declared war on the actual country (Syria) from which these people are coming.

The argument is that there can and sometimes are very good reasons to take in refugees under wartime situations…which I think I demonstrated, although it was not sufficient to support the more specific point concerning these people right now.
Good. that’s where they should go, culturally, and we should help. That’s the truly benevolent thing to do.
I’m sure that proximity and familiarity makes a neighboring Muslim country the most attractive kind of destination, but the truth is that these very countries can only do so much, others need to pitch in, and many of these countries have already been fairly overwhelmed with refugees from completely different types of war and instability going back decades.Collectively, Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon currently clock in with a little over 5 million refugees in their countries. That is right about half of all the refugees in the world today.
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Disagree, unless your point is that we have supported Israel since 1948. Our involvement in the defeat of Sadam doesn’t play into the fact that there are two things they want from us: 1) convert to Islam or die, and 2) help them defeat Israel.
Our involvement in the defeat of Saddam also involved causing certain of his people to become unemployed- then we didn’t have the foresight to make sure they had something to do under the new administration- some other things happened, and those people found something to do. They helped ISIS take over.

pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/iraq-war-on-terror/rise-of-isis/how-saddams-former-soldiers-are-fueling-the-rise-of-isis/

In this source, you’ll also see how the Baath Party and ISIS are not the likeliest of companions, there was a lot of divergent ideology that had to be overcome. It’s called a “marriage of convenience”- in that ISIS needed somebody to work with, and Saddam’s former officers really needed someone to work for. They didn’t just fall into each others’ laps, and it certainly wouldn’t have happened this way if the US occupying forces had done things differently with those former officers.
Which comes to the definition of “moderate Muslims”. Mine is those who allow free religious exercise, and allows people to freely convert if they choose to.
On the other hand, I wouldn’t expect any significant number of Muslims to convert, simply because they emigrate to non-Muslim countries.
I would expect a non-Muslim country to be the type of place where Muslims are Most Likely to covert (and to be relatively free of persecution if they do) and I also expect Muslims to be relatively bad at gaining converts in a secular society where religious competition is an actual thing. I wouldn’t expect that many refugees to convert immediately, but I’ll bet there’s a much better chance that the second and third generations would. And however many do convert, that’s more than the alternative, if they wind up in a Muslim country instead.

And by your definition of moderate, there are very few moderate Muslims in Muslim-majority countries. You’d almost have a better chance of finding a strong believer in Jeffersonian democracy. If you look at Muslims in the United States, though- you can find that anywhere.
 
That is true, but based on what? Evidently, it’s based on the threat that ISIS will infiltrate in this way, and then an attack happened in Paris that managed to involve one or two such people in ways that were not really critical to the success of the attack.
Based on a long history and a virulent ideology.

It’s not just Paris. We could spend hours detailing the hundreds of atrocities in the last decade that sprung from radical Islam and its adherents.
They have more than enough people here already. They can get stuff done…Already. Wherever “here” is for you, I promise there are enough people working on behalf of ISIS that already live in your country who can carry out whatever they’re going to do.
That’s exactly the problem. We don’t need to add any more fuel to the fire.
Does it sound like I’m aware that we are at war?
Not really.
I’m pretty sure someone else posted a helpful link that explains that sort of thing in some detail.
Do you really think you are going to be able to make a phone call to the Syrian national government and order criminal background checks? Do you think Assad will share his intelligence to the U.S. government as to which Syrian refugees might pose a terrorist threat?

Be specific. Because the crux of the matter is vetting these refugees, and I haven’t heard a single explanation in this thread as to how we would go about doing so.
Well, we kind of created this thing. We are the ones who destabilized Iraq, and we have been involved fairly directly with the people who made ISIS what it is today.
September 11th, 2001…We will never forget.
 
I’m all for accepting Christian refugees that can be vetted through their churches
 
Based on a long history and a virulent ideology.

It’s not just Paris. We could spend hours detailing the hundreds of atrocities in the last decade that sprung from radical Islam and its adherents.

That’s exactly the problem. We don’t need to add any more fuel to the fire.

Not really.

Do you really think you are going to be able to make a phone call to the Syrian national government and order criminal background checks? Do you think Assad will share his intelligence to the U.S. government as to which Syrian refugees might pose a terrorist threat?

Be specific. Because the crux of the matter is vetting these refugees, and I haven’t heard a single explanation in this thread as to how we would go about doing so.

September 11th, 2001…We will never forget.
Simple we can’t vet them and out government knows this
 
The analogy is a bit faulty since mass murderers as well as homegrown terrorists are already in the country while refugees are not. Still, I think there must be some middle ground which enables truly desperate refugees to be taken in and, at the same time, screens for terrorists. We must try not to play on an already existing Islamophobia in the United States, but I am aware of the difficulties involved.
Let Saudi Arabia take them in
 
The reality is that President Hussein Obama has already been allowing refugees into the U.S and more will come.

My question is? Does any one know if Washington has revealed a plan to what happens to these refugees released into the U.S? whether or not they are to become U.S citizens? is there a plan to send them back after the war? Is Washington going to train the fighting aged refugee and send them back to fight for their country?

Does any one know what is President Obama’s long term plan for any refugee in the U.S?
 
Suppose a boatload of German refugees arrived on our shores in 1944, and reported they were escaping the violence of WWII, and there was no way to verify that they weren’t agents of the German government?

I think there would be a lot of trepidation in just admitting them to the country.

We are in a similar situation today, determining which of the people presenting themselves as refugees aren’t just agents of the Islamic State is very difficult.
Interesting, I heard a media story some weeks back, that the Muslim refugees were throwing the Christian refugees over board into the sea while in route to Western shores.
 
My question is? Does any one know if Washington has revealed a plan to what happens to these refugees released into the U.S? whether or not they are to become U.S citizens? is there a plan to send them back after the war? Is Washington going to train the fighting aged refugee and send them back to fight for their country?
These refugees become full-fledged U.S. citizens. They are not trained by the U.S. military. They are given some limited training by social service organizations - like Catholic Charities - to help them find employment and housing. Most receive government assistance, such as welfare, food stamps, etc. They are expected to become self-sufficient in a short period of time, as the social service organizations can only do so much.
 
These refugees become full-fledged U.S. citizens. They are not trained by the U.S. military. They are given some limited training by social service organizations - like Catholic Charities - to help them find employment and housing. Most receive government assistance, such as welfare, food stamps, etc. They are expected to become self-sufficient in a short period of time, as the social service organizations can only do so much.
Thanks for your informative post. So the plan for the refugee is to be “vetted” and then jump ahead in line of every one else who may be applying for a U.S citizenship and assistance?

**Does anyone know what is the President’s plan, if a refugee fails his “vetting” process? Where does the president of the U.S send a failed vetted refugee? **
 
Thanks for your informative post. So the plan for the refugee is to be “vetted” and then jump ahead in line of every one else who may be applying for a U.S citizenship and assistance?
As someone mentioned earlier in the thread, there is a long wait period of 18-24 months, which would indicate that they don’t exactly “jump ahead in line”.

During the wait period, they go through a series of interviews and a vetting process conducted by the various arms of the federal government. What is being questioned is the vetting process, its thoroughness and accuracy.
Does anyone know what is the President’s plan, if a refugee fails his “vetting” process? Where does the president of the U.S send a failed vetted refugee?
If they fail the vetting process, they just don’t get to come into the country. They stay where they are located, presumably in Syria or a neighboring country to which they had fled.
 
StGerardMajella;13457494]As someone mentioned earlier in the thread, there is a long wait period of 18-24 months, which would indicate that they don’t exactly “jump ahead in line”.
I know U.S homeless Vets who have been waiting for their earned government assistance for over three years today, a relative of mine who did FIVE fighting tours in the Iraq war, was declined government assistance for his disability he received fighting in Iraq.

Eighteen to twenty four months is a jump in line by these standards for government assistance. I know of one co-worker who is Russian who finally got her U.S citizenship after three years. I only speak from personal experience here.
During the wait period, they go through a series of interviews and a vetting process conducted by the various arms of the federal government. What is being questioned is the vetting process, its thoroughness and accuracy.
Understandable.
If they fail the vetting process, they just don’t get to come into the country. They stay where they are located, presumably in Syria or a neighboring country to which they had fled.
Is that a moral justification by our President to reject a failed refugee to the U.S?
Where is the morality by the U.S to reject a failed vetted refugee and accept a passing vetted refugee? I am interested in learning what exactly happens to a failed vetted refugee.
 
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