Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Professor Muhtaseb
Politics in the Middle East
Due: January 2017
Donald Trumps presidential victory of the United States will fuel the extremist groups of
Islam, such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The president elect campaigned on a
platform to rid Muslims from the United States; there have been claims to register Muslims and
to put extreme barriers into entering the United States. Trump has used fear and allowed small
extremist sects of the Islamic community to represent the entire Islamic community. His tactics
have charged hatred within the United States but have the potential to bring ISIS to power rather
than defeating the radical group. Hatred leads to polarization and further division. When the
leader of the free world caters toward the division of peoples and isolation movements he also
has the power to feed the growth and violence of extremist groups.
Although extremist religious groups are threatening and have proceeded to kill thousands
of innocent people around the globe they only represent a very small portion of the religious
denominations population. Within the context of Islam, a religion of nearly 2.2 billion people on
our planet, or 20% of the total planets population, ISIS represents an extremely small segment
of the religion collectively. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights calculates that ISIS has at
most 100,000 soldiers. ISIS does not represent even a percent of the global Islamic population
globalized world.
ISIS has been on a steady rise since the United States took control of the Iraq in 2003.
According to Crethi Plethi, in their article, The Historical Roots and Stages in the Development
of ISIS, the U.S, after their take-over under the Bush Administration from 2003-2009, never
established solid government or Iraqi military. The country was left deeply torn apart from their
Sunni-Shiite divide on top of the extreme economic instability. Formerly, the Sunni minority had
ruled the country but now the Shiite ruled and in turn alienated the Sunni minority. The Shiite
rule led to the rise of Sunni extremist groups, namely the Iraqi Al-Qaeda branch. This branch, led
by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi flourished for two years, but after the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
in 2006 the true rise if of the Islamic State came into being. From 2006-2011 IS was an
umbrella organization for several extremist groups all with the common goal to wage terrorist-
guerilla warfare against the United States. In the last years, America was still present in the area
and to worked to establish intelligent foreign policies that supported the Sunni minority and had
most Sunnis supporting American influence at the time. However, mere months after Obama
withdrew from Iraq the rise of ISIS really began. Although the outbreak of the Syrian civil war
enabled ISIS to come to more power, it was in 2014 that ISIS began to flourish, attacking
civilians internally, beheading journalists and westerners and carrying out terrorist attacks across
the world. Although no acts of violence to this degree of severity can be justified, using scar
tactics to create a divide within humanity is unjust. It will cause more problems if a stigma of
From the very beginning of his campaign, Trump has used hatred, stereotyping and
bigotry to create a platform to run on. Using fear to unite voters he has furthered a community
that is anti-Islam. A PBS article, Could Trumps anti-Muslim rhetoric influence politics well
beyond 2016? by Daniel Bush, reported that his extreme claims along the campaign trail fed a
anti-Muslim rhetoric that will have long term effects. In all U.S. elections since 9/11 there has
been a rise of scapegoating Muslims, however Trump took his claim in December 2015 as far
as saying that all Muslims should be banned from the United States of America. On Fox News on
December 2nd, Trump was quoted saying, the other thing with the terrorists is you have to take
out their families, when you get these terrorists, you have to take out their families. They care
about their lives, dont kid yourself. When they say they dont care about their lives, you have to
Trump stands for a white America and this is clearly noted in his denunciations of
women, Muslims, the LBGTQ community, Latinos, African Americans and disabled folks.
Interestingly, in all categories except for the Muslim community Trump has also spoken
specifically to these groups and asked for their support. For instance, with the outrage in the fall
of 2016 with what he said about women he in turn spoke to women across America and also had
his daughter Ivanka speak on his behalf. Trump found value in several of his rallies, especially in
crucial states, such as Wisconsin and North Carolina, to reach out to African American and
Latino voters and speak to them about how he will be able to create jobs. However, he not once
made any statement to provoke Muslim support during his campaign trail. His slander has been
outrageous against all communities but it has also deepened the fear agains the Islamic
community, created further national divide and legitimized racism. Trumps win was largely due
to the fact that he spoke to people who have been working in blue collar jobs in America and
year after year have seen their income diminish. While many of these people are white
Americans who were living in rural areas, Trump was also able to pull minority voters who do
The bulk of that anger is coming from beleaguered working-class and, to a lesser extent,
middle-class white people, especially the less educated the very same groups that most
vociferously support Trump. They are angry over the coming loss of a white majority (predicted
for 2043 by the Census Bureau), the falling fortunes of the white working class, worsening
income inequality, the rise of left-wing movements like Black Lives Matter, major advances for
LGBT people, growing numbers of refugees and undocumented workers, terrorism, and
more (The Southern Poverty Law Center, 2016).
Trump, who has clearly transitioned to blunt campaigning to more professional speeches,
is reported to have taken down his statement on banning Muslims that was on his website
according to The Independent article, Donald Trump statement on banning Muslims from US
disappears from his website. The statement was still present the morning of the election and was
a draw for many of his voters who claim they are scared for themselves and their families. Like
Trump, many of his voters believe that banning Muslims is a necessary step for American safety.
This rhetoric does not only fail to take into account the vast majority of Muslims are not
extremists and also those who are trying to migrate to the United States are fleeing extreme
internal conflicts. Further, Pew Research has reported that since 9/11 there was also a rise of
people who affiliated violence with the following of Islam. In 2015 a report showed that 25% of
Americans believed Islam and Terrorism were interchangeable terms (Bush, PBS, 2016). These
reports are derived from real peoples feelings and opinions but it must be noted what mass-media
has been feeding the masses. For instance, there are many terrorist groups who fight under
Christian guidelines and still are present today, such as, the Lords Resistance Army, the Klu Klux
Klan and Antibalaka. Mass media does not cover them and many peoples collective ideas on the
recent speeches since being nominated he has already been much more professional and taken
down statements of racist rhetoric from his website. However, for over a year leading up to the
election of Donald Trump he made statements that allowed for masses of people to unite because
they agreed with his slander. Although it is still unclear Trumps path of action, if he does decide
to ban Muslims he could decide to not let anyone in from countries with Muslim majorities or
specific countries who have been tied to past terrorist attacks. His campaign trail made it clear
that he would possibly put bans on certain countries completely from entering the U.S. If a ban
were to take place there are many people that Trump would not be granting immigration rights
that could be beneficial to U.S society, such as Iraqi Christians, computer engineers from
Muslim-majority countries hired to code at Silicon Valley firms, or a foreign scholar hired to
teach at an American university. If the ban extends beyond immigration, and includes tourists or
business travelers, it could ban representatives from some of Americas key allies from even
stepping foot in the country, Zack Beauchamp wrote in his Vox article, Donald Trump can
absolutely ban Muslims from entering the US, without Congress. Vox argues that a ban would
actually be quite simple, by making vetting processes extremely difficult or simply not allowing
passports from certain areas to come in, but in no way would lead to a safer, better America.
Beauchamp notes a ban would affect the lifestyles of intelligent engineers and contributors of
American society on top of hurting world relations, world travel policies, the global economy
and national security all by treating anyone with a Muslim background as if they were a
the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law states that over the years right wing politicians
have used cautious Islamophobia but Trump went all the way. Beydoun states, Trump will
bring an administration that is entirely devoid of Muslim Americans and at minimum, individuals
without genuine reach into or backing from Muslim Americans. His campaign lacked any bona
fide Muslim American involvement, and the Trump administration will likely reflect that. In
fact, Trumps administration has the ability to strike a cultural movement because the highest
people in our government will be against Muslim Americans because ...if the president of the
US is the very archetype and orchestrator of Islamophobia, then assailing Muslims, torching
mosques, and attacking anybody who looks Muslim is fair game (Beydoun, Aljaezeera, 2016)
Since the election on November 8th, 2016 there has been a huge spike of racist slurs and
happenings. The Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) reported that over 111 attacks
and statements have occurred since November 8th that have been purely prejudice from
Donald Trump has already changed the world in many ways. A BBC article, US election
2016: Six ways a Trump presidency changes the world, says that NATO will be vastly reshaped,
the new relationship with Russia could alter everything from east and west conflict to even the
civil war in Syria, free trade deals, and the rise of nuclear power and weapons and Iran and Asia.
With the change of relationships everywhere and the general consensus of his policies to become
a more isolationist nation we could predict that ISIS could further come to power.
Historically, groups of jihadists have risen because they do not believe Islam notions have
been taken seriously enough. There have long been jihadists groups who have gathered and
attempted to take power because they didnt believe their Islam powers were taking the Quran
seriously enough. For example, in Africa jihadists groups collected before the Scramble of Africa
because they didnt believe Kings were implementing the law of Islam correctly. Similarly the
rise of jihadist groups today have happened because they do not believe both local civilians are
living the word of the Quran out correctly as well as do not believe in the lifestyles of the west.
With anti-Muslim rhetoric being spread around the globe there could be a rise of ISIS
fighters from western lands because moderate Muslims feel alienated and planned attacks
against the worlds superpower as hatred against the west rises. For instance, with Trumps plans
to be more closely affiliated with Russia the civil war in Syria, which ISIS is largely involved in
could be revamped. Russia backs Bashar al-Assad in Syria, who has been President of Syria
since 2000 and for the past five years has been fighting his civilians who tried to rise against him
during the Arab Spring through pro-democracy protests. The rise of ISIS has happened
throughout the civil war, creating yet another element of chaos and violence. The United States
backs the National Coalition, the primary group against Assads regime. With the US and Russia
backing different supporters in the Syria it does not seem likely Trump will be able to work
efficiently with Putin when it comes to national interests in foreign policies. Trumps foreign
policies that praise the rise of the American power from an internal standpoint creates a further
distinction between the east, one that world politicians for years have been trying to resolve.
On top of the internal issues of Syria if Donald Trump undermines the mostly peaceful
negotiations in Iran on nuclear power it could lead to more issues within the Middle Eastern
realm. Specifically with Iran the United States has many opposing views with the country
According to an Atlantic article, How Trump and ISIS Help Each Other
They confirm each other's narratives, even from opposite sides, by Dominic Tierney, ISIS and
Donald Trump similarly share extreme values of what they find inherently correct.
Tierney wrote, From another angle, however, Trump and ISIS are effectively, if not
intentionally, helping each other. They dont communicate. Theres no moral equivalence
between them. Nevertheless, Trump and ISIS aid each others agendas in a strange combination
of the coiffured and the caliphate. Even in a Republican Party that has drifted closer to
Islamophobia in recent years, Trump stands out for his polarizing rhetoric, which poses a threat
to openness and tolerance in the United States.
Over the past eight years Obama has worked against extremist groups but also
understood that prejudice and discriminations help ISIL and it undermines our national
security. The United States, although a superpower in many lights is deeply disliked. With a
Trump presidency there is the risk of the global confederation of extremists, Tierney claims.
Throughout the world we have seen a rise of populist parties in recent months, many of
which have been based off of economic-insecurity and fears of terrorism. Tierney argues that
by slumping all Muslims into total groups populist parties have made the argument of good
versus evil, simply seeing the world clearly as black versus white, or good versus evil. In reality
the world is many shades of grey with extremist politicians and religious groups on the end of
the spectrum. Brexit was a great foreshadowing of the U.S. presidential election and also of the
rise of populist groups across Europe, such as Marine Le Pens National Front in France. Each of
these movements have fueled by fear; fear of economic decline for a blue collar group as well as
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) in the United States 2016 has
been one of the most violent years based on hate crimes since 1968 and state that much of the
The SPLC has followed a trend of hate groups on the rise over the past decades, however
has found that in 2015 and Trumps original campaign trail the rise of hate groups in 2015 was
14% increase from the year prior. Statistics for 2016 have yet to be released however the trend
has likely continued and will do so even into 2017. Along with the trend of hate groups there has
The growth of hate groups has grown exponentially due to the internet as the primary
platform for recruitment. Many people gather on the internet. For instance, Stormfront, a white-
supremacy site has more than 300,000 members. There are extremist groups for every
demographic and they are all are based off of principles that there is one right way to live and
ISIS also uses the internet and social media and recruits members, soldiers and lone
wolves. According to Lisa Baker of the University of Maryland in her thesis The Islamic States
Use of Online Social Media, ISIS has done a very impressive job of targeting young and
specifically westerners. They have used social media as their main medium, however have also
put together many hip looking videos to lure millennials. For instance, the former German
rapper Denis Cuspert, converted to Islam in 2012 and has used his rapping skills to promote ISIS
ideals (Baker, 2015). Recruitments from the West in 2015 were estimated around 3,000. ISIS
preys on young Muslims in the West knowing that they may already feel alienated, feeling that
they have ...lived under a constant veil of fear and suspicion. Many feel they have been unfairly
harassed, having been pulled aside at the airport by TSA as they traveled, or at the very least,
being on the receiving end of nervous, distrustful stares. ISIS has used the difficulties of young
Muslims to tell them there is a place where they can fit in. Although the ideas are radical they
speak to young Muslims who are seeking to find their identity. For example, many young women
who live within very strict boundaries in America, often under their fathers rule and do not
connect with other females in America are compelled to leave because they believe ISIS will
offer friends and a community that is conducive to their way of life. It is important to note that
many recruitments cannot make it to the ISIS homeland and therefore are inspired to carry out
The lone wolf aspect may be the scariest aspect of extremist groups because they will
execute acts of violence in the name of their group. Around the world we have seen acts of
violence where the killers and terrorists claim that they are affiliated with ISIS. The New York
Times article, Where ISIS has Directed and Inspired Attacks Around the World, by Karen
Yourishm Derek Watkins and Tom Giratikanon tracked where ISIS has led attacks around the
world along with ISIS inspired terrorist attacks. Since October 2015 nearly half of the attacks
affiliated with ISIS are attacks that have not been carried out by ISIS directly but rather inspired
by ISIS.
The impact of terrorism goes far beyond the body count. Violence motivated by racial, ethnic
or religious animus fractures society along its most fragile fault lines, and sends shock waves
through entire targeted communities. More hatred and fear, particularly of diversity, are often the
response. Several political figures have harnessed that fear, calling for bans on mosques, Muslim
immigrants and refugees fleeing violence in the Middle East. And terror can breed hate crimes,
as evidenced by a string of physical attacks on mosques and Muslims, particularly after a jihadist
couple in San Bernardino, Calif., murdered 14 people in December (The Southern Poverty Law
Center, 2016).
Trump and ISIS values look distinctly different on paper but in reality are strikingly
similar. For instance, while ISIS demands their women cover themselves completely and Trump
praises women as sexual beings, they both believe in strong patriarchy, and further, they both
promote the clash between the west and Islam. They both are fueled by hatred of the other.
The propaganda both of the parties share is one choice for the masses they are speaking to, they
say time and time again you are on the band wagon or you are against us, in turn making
moderates oppose them or having them support extremist views. ISIS has recruited many
followers around the world because it promises the way of life, something that is appealing to
many young people who have yet to find their way (Tierney, Atlantic, 2016).
The terrorist attacks, especially the ones who have occurred in the west, are greatly
correlated with the trend of anti-Muslim because people are scared. Donald Trump spoke to that
And the benefits go both ways. Trumps emphasis on the Islamic nature of extremism
legitimizes the opposing sides message, and antagonizes Muslim moderates who naturally
bristle at the implied association with terrorism. ISISs own propaganda spells out its strategy of
polarizing Muslims by making life impossible for the moderatesa strategy that Trump,
through his rhetoric, is abetting. If Trump actually turned this rhetoric into political reality, it
would confirm the Islamists argument that the United States is implacably opposed to their
religion. To, in Trumps words, take out completely innocent civilians simply because they are
the parents, siblings, or children of ISIS members is not only morally abhorrentit would be a
catastrophe for Americas global image (Tierney, Atlantic, 2016)
Clearly, Trump and ISIS both have a set of opposing values, however their aggressive
tactics are dangerous. Their methods and backings of extreme views could create a deeper East/
West divide, with more violence, more displacement and even more fear. Both figures are
ultimately hurting people in their land more than they are by combatting each other. For
example, ISIS has killed thousands of Muslims who do not abide by their stringent laws and
Trump is now in a position to not grant a life in the free world to people who desperately need it
and has the ability to take away rights from people who already have them. Both are dangerous
players.
In conclusion, Trump and ISIS both believe they are fighters for a better world, one for
only their people. Days after the election ISIS groups celebrated Donald Trumps win because
the alienation of ordinary Muslims is key to their recruitment of foreign fighters, The
Washington Post reports in their article, Islamist extremists celebrate Trumps election win, by
Ishaan Tharoor. It will force Muslims to choose sides between being scared citizens in the
United States or to join an extremist party such as ISIS. An online ISIS forum says that the
president elect marks the beginning of dark times for the United States because America will
lose strength as the international superpower and once again make America the number one
Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi, a jihadist ideologue linked to al-Qaeda who has close to 60,000
followers on Twitter, gloated about Trump's victory, suggesting that it "may be the beginning of
Americas fragmentation and the era of its breakup." In a second tweet, he said that Trump
"reveals the true mentality of the Americans, and their racism toward Muslims and Arabs and
everything. He reveals what his predecessors used to conceal. So his victory further exposes
America and its appendages (Tharoor, The Washington Post, 2016)
In short, the election of Donald Trumps, a platform based on the legitimizing of hatred
and proposed policies of isolation and division will have extensive implications for a deeper
division between the East and the West. Extremist, populist views will cause more chaos, more
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