I am a Rabbi who stands with Muslims, Jews, and other concerned citizens in urging President Obama to dismantle the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS)— the Bush-era “Muslim registry” that already exists — before President-elect Donald Trump can expand it to further isolate and target the Muslim community.
As an American, the very idea of creating such a registry is an affront to what my country has always stood for. There is nothing more unjust and offensive to our core values of freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, than to target and threaten a segment of people based on their religious beliefs or their national origin. I believe this cuts to the heart of who we are as a country and the very values upon which we were founded. We cannot let fear mongering betray our fundamental identity as a nation.
Speaking as a Jew, the idea of a Muslim Registry chills me to the bone. Bend the Arc Jewish Action’s “We’ve Seen This Before” campaign was organized specifically to fight back against Donald Trump’s spreading of fear and hatred. It is not an overstatement to say that a registry like this could threaten a people’s very being. So, we will continue to stand in solidarity with our Muslim brothers and sisters, because we know what a list like this can lead to, and it must not happen here.