If you haven’t heard about it yet, President-elect Donald Trump’s policy advisers are discussing plans to establish a registry for Muslims in the US. With this, people all across the country and in fact, the world, have been quick to express their disapproval, and better yet, to offer to register as well, even if they’re not Muslim. In fact, people should register especially if they are not a Muslim.
As a justification for such a thing, Carl Higbie, the co-chair of the Great America Political Action Committee gave an interview on Fox News and he suggested that America “did it during World War II with the Japanese, which, you know, call it what you will.” It’s interesting that he cited Japanese American internment, a popular way in which the American government did during the war to Japanese people, for fear that they may have been loyal to Japan, when discussing the implausibility of registering Muslims in modern day America.
It’s not that Higbie was suggesting we start to imprison Muslims in case they may be loyal to ISIS or something equally unthinkable, but if push came to shove, “there is precedent for it… because the President-elect has got to do what he’s got to do to protect America first.” Ludicrous as it may seem, it no longer seems to be a joke, especially after Kris Kobach, the secretary of State for Kansas, suggested that Trump’s advisers were now looking to implement a scheme that would force immigrants from Muslim countries to register on a database.
In a discussion on The Daily Show, Jordan Keppler and Trevor Noah suggest that if it comes down to this, people need to “stand in solidarity with Muslim people who are being targeted by Donald Trump.” Noah continues to suggest that if they start to register Muslims, “we all register as Muslim.”
As always, we can always depend on Twitter to follow suit and get the ball rolling on such an incredible sentiment of solidarity. Here are some of the best:
If the Trump Administration really starts a Muslim registry, I am converting to Islam and signing up. I urge everyone else to do the same.
— Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) November 18, 2016
https://twitter.com/MoRedNotes/status/800139288834936832
In DC today near the memorial to the injustice to Japanese-Americans in WW2. Reagan quote "Here we admit a wrong." #RegisterMeFirst pic.twitter.com/7N2DJJcLGW
— Kate Barr (@KateSBarr) November 17, 2016
As an Atheist, and Humanist, I am totally opposed to any attempt at registering people based on their beliefs.#neverisnow#RegisterMeFirst
— J.P. (@mywits_end) November 17, 2016
Trump is doing more for Islam than most dawah Youtubers. He's not even president yet & thousand have already pledged to #RegisterAsMuslim
— Salim Kassam (@msalimkassam) November 19, 2016
A Jewish rights leader says he will register as a Muslim if Trump sets up his Muslim registry.https://t.co/xPsUhhRmby pic.twitter.com/05ZkgFsqvt
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) November 19, 2016
https://twitter.com/VA4Hillary1/status/799309799095562240
https://twitter.com/JakeLujan/status/799325845579907072
https://twitter.com/twhistorian/status/799306672594419712
My grandma's Japanese classmates disappeared from nursing school in 1940s, and white students stayed silent. Never again. #RegisterMeFirst
— Maia (@MaiaForest) November 17, 2016
https://twitter.com/Anomaly100/status/799264286497447936
