The US presidential hopeful must be countered
Republican and US presidential hopeful Donald Trump is turning out to be an obnoxious character, and it beats reason why in a country which boasts of assimilation of people regardless of their religion, skin-colour and political ideology, he appears to be gaining traction. It is obvious that there is a strong undercurrent against ‘certain' people within American society, and it is this section which is rooting for Mr Trump. The realty magnate has abandoned all forms of decency in catering to this constituency.
The danger of his approach lies in its simplicity: Islamists pose a threat to the peace and security of the United States, therefore Muslims must be barred from entering the country; the immigrants are a real nuisance, therefore name and shame them to the extent that they abandon the US and leave the latter in the hands of trusted ‘Whites'. Finally, anybody who in the ignorant minds of Americans resembles a Muslim (a turbaned, bearded Sikh, for instance) should be humiliated and made to feel like a terrorist — or at least as some sort of an ideological accomplice.
The visual image where a US Muslim woman was rounded up at one of Mr Trump's rallies because she dared to show him the mirror, as well as the more recent one of an American Sikh being jeered by Mr Trump's supporters and bundled out of a meeting hall like he was a suspect, are indications of his dangerous brand of politics that he hopes will fetch him the Republican nomination and eventually the presidentship. Rose Hamid, the protesting Muslim woman, refused to accept Mr Trump's argument that Syrian refugees had links with the Islamic State.
There is nothing like ‘exceptions' in his understanding — all Syrian refuges are linked to terror, period. She had stood up wearing a dress inscribed with the following: “Salam, I come in peace”. The American Sikh was ridiculed by both Mr Trump and his supporters after he raised a placard that gave the sensible message: “Stop hate”. It would have been nice if Mr Trump were to tone down his rhetoric since he appears to have succeeded in appeasing the section of voters he is relentlessly wooing, and reach out with maturity to the rest of the people. But, having tasted blood, so to say, the billionaire businessman is unlikely to make a course-correction.
Strangely, senior leaders in the Republican camp seem to have lost their voice. There has hardly been any real criticism, leave alone condemnation, of Mr Trump. Only his Republican rival Ted Cruz is attempting to corner him, but even he is not certain as to what extent he can take this forward without weakening himself even further electorally — Mr Trump is ahead in poll ratings. Mr Trump's distasteful belligerence has given ammunition to the leading Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton. Ms Clinton has termed Mr Trump's politics of hate as “dangerous”. It could get more dangerous if he is not halted in his tracks. Both the Republicans and the Democrats must realise the need to do so.