Volte-Face: Now All Muslims Are Trump’s Friends

In his attempt to woo Muslims, Trump – who is known for his lies and selfishness – completely ignored millions of American voters who had voted for him in the November election for his repeated anti-Muslim rhetoric.

By Rakesh Raman

While delivering his speech at the Arab Islamic American Summit in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, President Donald Trump made a complete volte-face in his policy toward Muslims.

Trump, who has significant business interests in Saudi Arabia as a businessman, preferred not to displease the Muslims with his usual hatemongering against them. Instead he extended a hand of friendship toward all those who practice Islam as a religion.

“I stand before you as a representative of the American People, to deliver a message of friendship and hope. That is why I chose to make my first foreign visit a trip to the heart of the Muslim world, to the nation that serves as custodian of the two holiest sites in the Islamic Faith,” Trump said.

[ Is Islam the Common Enemy of All Religions? ]

In his attempt to woo Muslims, Trump – who is known for his lies and selfishness – completely ignored millions of American voters who had voted for him in the November election for his repeated anti-Muslim rhetoric.

Last year, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, had said that Trump’s continued use of a debunked anti-Muslim myth was endangering ordinary American Muslims who are already facing a surge in hate.

At a rally in California, Trump repeated the myth about U.S. Gen. John Pershing executing Muslim prisoners in the Philippines using bullets dipped in pig’s blood.

[ Muslims Angry Over Trump’s Use of ‘Pig’s Blood’ Myth ]

Trump’s hate for Muslims was on full display when he became the President in January. Just a week after his inauguration, Trump issued an executive order to suspend resettlement of Syrian refugees indefinitely and all other refugee resettlement for 120 days.

The Trump order also banned the entry of nationals into the U.S. from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen for 90 days. All seven countries are predominately Muslim countries.

Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts – who is a fierce critic of President Donald Trump – had attacked his travel ban which aimed to block the entry of citizens from certain Muslim-majority countries into the U.S.

[ Trump’s Illegal Muslim Ban Will Help ISIS Terrorists: Elizabeth Warren ]

Senator Warren said that Trump’s order will help the terrorist organization Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) recruit more Muslim fighters who would think that Trump is targeting the Muslim community as a whole. She said that Trump’s illegal Muslim ban is still a recruiting tool for ISIS and it can’t keep Americans safe.

But in his speech on Sunday, Trump said, “For Americans, this is an exciting time.” He bragged that in just a few months of his presidency, he created almost a million new jobs, added over 3 trillion dollars of new value, lifted the burdens on American industry, and made record investments in military that will ensure the safety of Americans.

[ Was Saudi Arabia Behind 9/11 Terrorist Attacks? ]

On Saturday, Trump signed agreements with the Kingdom to invest almost $400 billion in two countries and create many thousands of jobs in America and Saudi Arabia.

“This agreement includes the announcement of a $110 billion Saudi-funded defense purchase – and we will be sure to help our Saudi friends to get a good deal from our great American defense companies. This agreement will help the Saudi military to take a greater role in security operations,” Trump said.

While Trump is on a nine-day, five-country tour, he is facing some serious challenges back home as investigations into his alleged ties with Russia have gathered momentum. A former FBI director Robert Mueller has been appointed to act as the special counsel to handle the investigation.

By Rakesh Raman, who is a government’s National award-winning journalist and runs free school for deserving children under his NGO – RMN Foundation.

Photo courtesy: White House