By Rep. Scott Peters
In the wake of terrorist attacks in Paris, Mali and, most recently, San Bernardino, fear of terrorism among Americans is as high as it’s been since immediately after Sept. 11, 2001. The acts committed are brazen and random, designed not only to kill, but also to strike fear in those who would otherwise feel safe.
It is our job as a Congress, and as a nation, to do everything within our power to seek out and stop these terrorists. We must do this with an urgent and effective strategy to defeat ISIS and all terror abroad. And we must also push for more common-sense restrictions on suspected foreign and domestic terrorists here at home, including universal background checks on all gun sales to ensure they are not easily accessible to those who pose a dangerous threat.
It is also the job of Congress, and all leaders, to remind people who the real enemy is, and who it isn’t.
At San Diego State University last month, a young man reportedly pushed and yanked the headscarf of a Muslim female student while making ethnic slurs, comparing her to a terrorist. The university is calling it a hate crime, and it is part of a rising trend. The FBI recently reported that while hate crimes overall are down, hate crimes against Muslim Americans are up. I worry this trend will spike after Donald Trump’s outrageous and un-American remarks.
I recently met with several Iraqi, Syrian, and Somali refugees in San Diego. They are grateful to be in America; and they, too, are afraid of terrorists and radicals. They are also afraid of hate. Muslim women, in particular, are afraid because they are easily identified by the headscarves many wear in observance of their faith, like the student at San Diego State. This young woman is not our enemy, nor is a five-year-old refugee or her grandmother fleeing the very violence and brutality that is driving our own fear.
I have and will continue to support the President’s plan to accept Syrian refugees fleeing their war-torn country, and I will continue to support our stringent screening of them — my first priority is always keeping Americans safe. That’s why I support the strict screening process refugees go through before they gain entry to the U.S. Refugees are handpicked and vetted through a tough twenty-plus-step screening process that takes two years on average.
This process is designed to separate those who are dangerous from those who are fleeing danger and seeking haven. Those fleeing include thousands of refugees who are awaiting entry, many of whom are hoping to be reunited with family members who are already here. That’s the case in San Diego. Close to 90 percent of those resettled here already have family in our region.
Since 1975, San Diego County has integrated nearly 82,000 refugees from around the world who have become citizens, professionals, and even world-class athletes such as long-distance runner Meb Keflezighi, an Eritrean-born refugee who medaled at the 2004 Olympics and won the 2014 Boston Marathon.
The U.S. prioritizes the most vulnerable refugees, such as widows and orphans, and we’ve welcomed them with open hearts and open minds. As a country, we are better than closing our doors to refugees. And as a nation founded by people seeking religious freedom, we are better than holding one religious belief over another.
I urge us to continue to treat these newcomers with kindness. They are just as afraid of terrorism as we are. They’ve seen terrorism first hand. They’ve lost loved ones to terrorism. That’s why they are here.
Congressman Scott Peters serves the 52nd District of California, which covers much of central San Diego County including Poway, Coronado and large portions of the City of San Diego. He is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the House Judiciary Committee.
