We need to help refugee

  I love writing Immigration and turmoil in the Middle East have always been “hot topics” that resurface in every presidential election. Even though there are many other presidents who have taken discriminatory actions against certain minorities of people, such as internment camps for the Japanese in World War II, Donald J. Trump, the 45th and 47th president with the lowest approval rating seen over 80 years of any president, proposed an unconstitutional ban for an entire race of people (Muslims) from entering the U.S, perpetuating the perception that all Muslims are terrorists. Amid all the Islamophobic hysteria, the United States is trying to deal with an unprecedented number of Syrian refugees coming into the country, who are trying to escape the Syrian Civil War. Although we are called upon to act, our political parties are very polarized; some do not believe that the United States should play much of a role in helping refugees directly or indirectly. Congress is extremely divided on this issue of whether to assist Syrian refugees. The only way to solve this humanitarian crisis is if Western nations and the world come together regardless of their differences. One approach to ending this crisis would be to create solutions through a worldwide collaboration of countries sponsored by the United Nations. However, in order to find solutions to address the social barriers faced by Syrian refugees, Islamophobia must be overcome. Even though Islamophobia is not the direct cause of the crisis, it is still a strong barrier to finding solutions to this social problem. 


      In order to understand the severity and the extent of this humanitarian crisis, we need to create a context in which people can study the history of Syria. This allows people to discover what factors led to the Syrian refugee crisis. As a result, people need to analyze the roots of the Syrian refugee crisis, because Syrian refugees are a result of the Syrian civil war. There are many causes of the Syrian civil war, which was inspired by the revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya (the Arab Spring in 2011). Similar to the nations that were part of the Arab Spring, many Syrians wanted to overthrow the dictatorial Assad regime due to the lack of freedoms and economic woes which fueled public anger and resentment of the Syrian government. Conflict began with antigovernment protests that divided Syrian citizens into two groups. One group remained loyal to their President Bashar al-Assad, while the other group opposed Assad’s regime and fought for democracy in Syria (BBC News 2016). However, the conflict escalated to a civil war when peaceful protests for Assad to resign turned violent during an incident where 15 boys were detained and tortured for having written graffiti in support of the Arab Spring. One of the boys, 13-year-old Hamza al-Khateeb, was killed after having been brutally tortured ("Syria's Civil War Explained", 2016). President Assad responded to the protests by killing hundreds of demonstrators and imprisoning many more. In July 2011, military officials formed a rebel group, named the Free Syrian Army, which called to overthrow the government; this eventually morphed into a full scale civil war. ("Syria's Civil War Explained", 2016).


     The Fighting between the two groups finally escalated to the capital of Syria, Damascus and the financial district of Aleppo in 2012. “According to the United Nations In June 2013, the Syrian civil war had killed 90,000 people.” (BBC News 2016). In addition, the United Nations also reports that by August 2015, that figure had climbed to 250,000.” (BBC News 2016). At that point in time, the United Nations declared The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic (BBC News 2016). This is because the United Nations found evidence that all parties involved in the Syrian civil war committed war crimes. These crimes included “murder, torture, rape and enforced disappearances” (BBC News 2016). The United Nations has also accused both parties involved in the Syrian civil war of causing civilian suffering – “such as blocking access to food, water and health services through sieges - as a method of war.” (BBC News 2016). In August 2013 the United Nations discovered that Syria had chemical weapons, after an incident in which hundreds of people were killed, after rockets filled with the nerve agent sarin were fired at several suburbs of Damascus (BBC News 2016).Western powers said it could only have been carried out by Syria's government, but the government blamed rebel forces (BBC News 2016). When President Assad was faced the threat of US military intervention, only then did Assad agree to the complete removal and destruction of Syria's chemical weapons arsenal (BBC News 2016). The chemical weapons are still being used today in the Syrian conflict. My research shows that the discovery of chemical weapons in Syria was the final straw that led to the Syrian refugee humanitarian crisis. Although the discovery of chemical weapons was a very significant factor in the development of many refugees in the crisis, global warming also played a large role in their displacement.


The multiple droughts in Syria was one of the factors that led to the large-scale displacement of Syrian citizens. The process of global warming has led to very severe droughts that plagued Syria from 2007-10, and caused as many as 1.5 million people to migrate from the countryside into cities, which exacerbated poverty and social unrest ("Syria's Civil War Explained", 2016). As a result, these people were forced to become refugees. The drought played a huge role in worsening the Syrian Civil war and increasing the amount of Syrian Refugees. As discussed above, drought and civil unrest are the reasons why the Syrian civil war has ultimately led to an enormous Syrian refugee crisis, which is the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II. As a result of the Syrian Civil War, 4.5 million people have fled Syria, and most of them are women and children (BBC News 2016). In addition, countries neighboring Syria such as Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey have struggled to cope with one of the largest refugee exoduses in recent history (BBC News 2016). About 10% of Syrian refugees have sought safety in Europe, sowing political divisions as countries argue over sharing the burden (BBC News 2016). Furthermore, 6.5 million people are internally displaced inside Syria, and 1.2 million were driven from their homes in 2015 alone. (BBC News 2016).


Although it is important to analyze the causes of the refugee crisis from its source, the Syrian Civil War, people cannot look at this crisis from only one angle. However, in order to truly understand this crisis, people have to be like sociologists and peel away the layers individually, in order to see where the problems are really located and find solutions. As a result, we need to look at all of the different aspects of this conflict in order to solve this problem. Moreover, this is why it is crucial to study the perspectives of how countries around the world and western nations, such as the United States, are dealing with the refugee crisis. Therefore, people need to understand the United States’ relationship to this crisis and their policies on how we see the conflict in Syria as part of the equation to find solutions and solve the crisis. Thus, we can understand why the Obama administration has an anti-Assad regime position on the crisis in Syria. In fact, the Obama administration thinks that president Assad is responsible for all of the war crimes and tragedy in Syria. In addition, the United States believes that Assad needs to resign and that there needs to be a negotiated end to the conflict in Syria, with a peaceful transition of government. The Obama administration is in favor of admitting Syrian refugees to the US. Obama wants to help Syrian refugees because they believe that Assad is a dictator and he has committed many war crimes that have led to the Syrian refugee crisis. 


The only way to solve this humanitarian crisis is if western nations and the world come together regardless of their differences. As a result, an objective approach to ending this crisis would be to create solutions through a worldwide collaboration of countries sponsored by the United Nations. However, in order to find solutions to the Syrian refugee crisis, Islamophobia must be overcome. Even though Islamophobia is not the direct cause of the crisis, it is still a strong barrier to finding solutions to this social problem. 


An increase in Islamophobia and an irrational belief that all Muslims and refugees are terrorists is now causing an unprecedented ban on Muslims entering the United States. Such a belief is irrational because it labels and stigmatizes all Muslims, including the majority who practice the actual religion of Islam correctly and peacefully. Muslims are not radicals who justify killing innocent people. Such a notion goes against the teachings in the Quran, which absolutely prohibits the killing of innocent people. In fact, the Quran states that if anyone kills a person, it would be as if he killed the whole of mankind; and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole of mankind” (The Holy Quran, Chapter Five, Verse 32). With an increase in Islamophobia, and an irrational belief that all Muslims and refugees are terrorists, many politicians, especially Republicans, wish to stop accepting Syrian refugees into the United States. This chauvinistic action is simply based on the stereotype that all Muslims are radical extremists like ISIS, which is a politically motivated organization of radicals who justify killing their own kind. In order to cure Islamophobia, people need become educated about to have a cultural education of the Muslim religion and its actual teachings. “Muslims” “practice the peaceful religion of Islam and renounce the violent practices of radical extremism. If people could address and recognize their Islamophobia, there would be no reason for people to fear Syrian refugees and stop them from coming to the United States. Because a great many Americans have misconceptions about the religion of Islam, many politicians, especially Republicans, wish to stop accepting Syrian refugees into the United States. This intolerant action is simply based on the stereotype that all Muslims are radical extremists like ISIS, which is politically motivated organization of radicals who justify killing their own kind. In order to cure Islamophobia, people need to become educated about the Muslim religion and its actual teachings. If the American people could join with the worldwide, peaceful Muslim majority and get past their Islamophobia, there would be no reason to fear Syrian refugees or need to stop them from coming to the United States. There have been multiple studies which have proven the fact that Islamophobia is not only irrational but more of a hindrance to keep people from actually solving the problem because they live in fear. 


Western nations have a capitalist ideology, which makes a majority of people react to foreign problems with indifference, and hostility. This is the case with the Syrian refugees because people in Western nations do not realize that they have a false conscientiousness about issues that do not directly affect them. They do not react to facts, or problems, that do not fit into their personal worldview (Rizzo, 2016) As a result, it is important to know how to frame Syrian refugees and the refugee crisis in positive ways in order to find solutions. Therefore, even though the European Parliament think tank supports the admission of Syrian refugees, the negative way they frame the refugee crisis as a simple migration issue thereby belittles the seriousness of the refugee crisis. At the same time, this type of rhetoric and bad media representation of Syrian refugees is sending an extremely negative message to the word that the refugee problem is not an important enough issue to solve.   


Furthermore, Islamophobia is creating a fear of Syrian refugees as terrorists, causing the problem to get worse rather than being solved. In reality, in order to solve the refugee crisis, people need to stop hiding behind their fear of terrorism and islamophobia to understand that the majority of Syrian refugees actually are innocent people who are escaping their countries because of conflict. After all, refugees are not seen as terrorists but as innocent people in need of protection. Therefore, people need to change how they view refugees because the only way to solve the refugee crisis is to correctly identify the roots of the problem which not only lie in Islamophobia, but also how refugees are depicted. Generally, people identify refugees as people who need protection and a safe place to live not as terrorists. However, Syrian refugees are assumed terrorists rather than innocent people. If Western nations view the Syrian refugees the same as other refugees the world could find solutions for crisis. This approach would be the right and ideal one instead of our current approach of banning innocent Syrian refugees because they are falsely being lumped into the same category as terrorists, which is only stalling and escalating the problem. The Arab American Institute is a social movement and advocacy organization for Syrian refugees. This agency has three goals. The first goal is to raise awareness about the Syrian refugee crisis, the second goal is to illuminate the cause of the refugee crisis, the final goal is to advocate for Syrian refugees and find solutions to the refugee crisis. 


  Think tanks are important tools used to frame and give Important Information about social problems, including the Syrian refugee crisis. Social movement organizations are important for the advocacy of Syrian refugees. Solutions to the problem of Syrian refugees have to be developed by a worldwide collaboration of countries around the world and the United Nations. In order to find solutions to the Syrian refugee crisis, Islamophobia, needs to be overcome. Even though, Islamophobia is not the direct cause of the Syrian refugee crisis, it is still a strong barrier to fixing this social phenomenon.


Most people do not know how serious the Syrian refugee crisis is. This is because Western societies only react and pay attention to a problem when celebrities make a statement about an issue, rather than their government. This is especially the case with Syrian refugees because many politicians especially Republicans are using fear and Islamophobia to create biased policies in order to ban the entire Muslim race and stop accepting Syrian refugees, even if a majority of them are innocent people who are in need of projection not violent meaningless killing of other Innocent people. This xenophobic action is simply based on the stereotype that all Muslims are radical extremists like ISIS. On the other hand, there is Hillary Clinton does not seem to have.


There are many policies in Lebanon that help protect Syrian refugees. Two important policies are enforced and are inspired by The United Nations Refugee Agency, which is also a social movement organization that advocates for Syrian refugees. The first policy is the fact that The United Nations Refugee Agency will not only implement a strategy in Lebanon that emphasizes the fact of they are working on strengthening its role in providing support for protection of Syrian refugees, but they will also ensure the inclusion of refugees in government policies and development plans, particularly by building a better understanding of the specific needs of refugees and enhancing the capacity of service providers. At the same time, The United Nations Refugee Agency will coordinate the overall refugee response in Lebanon, working closely with Government, UN. In addition, they will preserve their inter-agency commitment to address the most basic needs of refugees, and invest in host community support projects, public services and institutions. As a result, the second policy is a new program to help provide Syrian refugees with access to legal documentation and assistance in case of arbitrary detention and unlawful evictions. The United Nations Refugee Agency will also seek to strengthen community-based protection by capitalizing on refugee and host community competencies and skills. Particular attention will be given to supporting the most vulnerable (including people with disabilities, the elderly, minority groups, and the socially marginalized) and to ensuring social cohesion within their communities (The United Nations Refugee Agency Lebanon global focus report 2016).  


Yes, this program should be used as a role model for Policymakers in the United States. This is because it serves as a guide and inspiration for western nations to implement new policies that do not just encourage changes, but actually provoke actions to make things happen for Syrian refugees in order to solve the Refugee crisis. This program is seen as a success because Lebanon is taking action to lessen the refugee crisis by giving refugees hope and providing them with the services they need to get more opportunities for social mobility, so they can break free from the circumstances of the refugee crisis in order to move on from tragedy and live better lives where ever they are.  


   Therefore, in order to cure Islamophobia, people need to have a cultural education of the Muslim religion and actual teachings. Muslims practice the peaceful religion of Islam and renounce the violent practices of radical extremism. If people could address and recognize their Islamophobia, there would be no reason for people to fear Syrian refugees and stop them from coming to the United States. Consequently, people continue to struggle with Islamophobia because they do not address it.


Policies about Syrian refugees are not biased towards a specific goal other than helping Syrian refugees in countries such as Lebanon, and Turkey. In order to find solutions to the Syrian refugee crisis there is one important issue, Islamophobia needs to be overcome. With an increase in Islamophobia, and an irrational belief that all Muslims and refugees are terrorists. The understanding of Islam as a “peaceful religion that renounces the violent practices of radical extremism will lessen the fair of Muslims which would allow people to see them separate from terrorist groups, thus solving the Syrian refugee crisis”. It is crucial to view the opposing parties view on the Syrian Refugee crisis for a more comprehensive understanding of the issues at hand.


I enjoyed writing this paper for many reasons. First, I thought the project was going to be impossible for me to complete. My paper was initially 41 because I became interested in the information that shocked me. This is especially true when I found out about Russia hacking the United States election so trump would win. I knew there was something wrong when he won because America is not racist to point where the American people would vote for a man simply because of Islamophobia. In addition, the American people are not ready for a woman as president, despite the fact that Hillary won the popular vote. Also, my research taught me a lot about how women are portrayed in media. I have worked extremely hard on this paper. I dedicated my entire last weekend and the entire semester to this paper and I believe that I became immersed in this project because I want to continue to research the refugee crisis and how Islamophobia is strong barrier for Innocent refugees. There is absolutely 

no reason for Americans to be


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