There is much conversation about the 2.5 million illegal immigrants in America since Obama has taken office. There has also been a concern for national security as to whether America should suspend Islamic immigration and refugees to America, at least temporarily.
My question is: What about the refugees who have waited 15 or 20 years, are going through the right process, and are still waiting? Illegal immigration seems unfair to the ones who are following the legal route. I’m not an expert in immigration policy, so I want to stick to three facts that you should know about Islamic immigration and America.
Fact 1:
America has opened her borders to more immigrants/refugees than any other country in recent history. From 1970-2013, America allowed 31.7 million immigrants to enter the U.S. As of 2015, America is hosting a national total of 45 million immigrants. This is four times the amount of any other nation in the world. Let that sink in … four times the amount of any other nation. Russia is second with a total of 11 million immigrants, and Germany and Saudi Arabia nearly tie for third with about 9 million immigrants in each country.
Despite having large migrant populations, many of these nations do not have policies that actively support immigration. In fact, according to the U.N., the governments of Saudi Arabia, France, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates all promoted policies aimed at lowering the level of immigrants into their countries, as of 2011. Only one of these nations, Russia, actively promoted immigration into their country at the time.
The sheer number of immigrants we have taken in over the past several years proves America is an immigrant-friendly nation. We have been and continue to be four times more generous than any other country simply because we were founded as a Christian nation.
Fact 2:
The Obama administration has allowed an average of 250,000 Islamic immigrants per year into America during his time in office. Investor’s Business Daily reports on February 19, 2015: “Between 2010 and 2013, the Obama administration imported almost 300,000 new immigrants from Muslim nations — more immigrants than the U.S. let in from Central America and Mexico combined over that period.” Many of the recent Muslim immigrants are from terrorist hot spots such as Iraq, where the Islamic State operates. From 2010-2013, Obama ushered in 41,094 Iraqi nationals.
Rep. Mike McCaul (R-TX), chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, called the new policy “a federally sanctioned welcome party to potential terrorists.” McCaul continues:
The British press is reporting that ISIS has threatened to release a huge wave of migrants from Libya across the Mediterranean disguised as refugees to cause chaos in Europe. Who’s to say they aren’t setting a similar immigration bomb for America? Authorities can’t even get a handle on homegrown ISIS jihadists who are already in America. Why would we risk adding so many potential jihadists from abroad to the already overloaded terrorist threat matrix?
Fact 3:
Islam is a violent religion. Jihad related crimes come from the teaching of Islam, which comes from the Koran. The Koran teaches that lying to advance Islam is permitted; this is called taqiyya. We saw evidence of such teaching at the Fort Hood shooting when Nidal Hasan disguised his Islamic religion and swore to protect America and American soldiers in order to join the U.S. Army. As you may remember, on November 5, 2009, he murdered 13 U.S. Army men on the Fort Hood military base.
It also teaches that those who convert from Islam to another religion should be killed. “When the sacred months are over, slay the idolaters wherever you find them. Arrest them, besiege them, and lie in ambush everywhere for them” (Surah 9:5).
So what should we make of these three facts? Here is my conclusion. But let me preface it with this: I respect my Christian friends who hold to a different view, but in the same breath I want to remind them of this biblical account.
In Deuteronomy 23, God temporarily suspended the Ammonites and the Moabites from entering the congregation of Israel. As Ammon and Moab met the Israelites with hostility and brought Balaam to curse God’s people, they also brought a curse upon themselves; they were to be forever excluded from the congregation of Israel. Israel was not to care for nor promote the welfare of these nations.
Some may argue that Ruth, a Moabite, was allowed as an individual to enter the congregation of Israel. It’s true. She was. But she was a convert: “[Y]our people shall be my people, and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16). Ruth was an exception; she willingly accepted the ways and the God of the Israelites.
The Ammonites and Moabites did not. They were enemies of Israel just as radical Islam has become an enemy of America. This suspension of the Ammonites and Moabites was temporary, but it was a suspension that God put in place. Therefore, it is not unreasonable for Christians to suggest that the American government suspend Islamic immigration – at least for a season – secure its boarders, and improve the vetting of refugees and immigrants.
This article first appeared on The Stand.
