In New York, a Warmer Reception for Syrian Refugees
In the wake of the terror attacks in Paris, politicians and others are calling for a ban — or at least a delay — on the influx of refugees to the United States.
Republican presidential candidates Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush have called on the U.S. to accept only Christian Syrian refugees, not Muslims. Presidential candidate Donald Trump goes one step further, saying he would accept none.
Dr. Ahmad Jaber, president of the Arab-American Association of New York and Dawood Mosque, calls such rhetoric unconstitutional.
“How dare you say you are not welcoming refugees,” Jaber said. “How dare you say that based on their faith, you are not welcoming them because they are Muslims.”
So far, roughly 2,200 Syrian refugees have arrived on American soil since the start of the Syrian civil war. About 77 percent of them are women and children, according to the U.S. State Department.
Only a handful of Syrians have landed in New York. But Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has called New York “a proud immigrant city,” said the city will not turn its back on those who are persecuted and fleeing war. And he praised New York’s current Muslim population as a crucial ally in the fight against terrorism.
Source: www.voanews.com