Local reaction to Trump’s Muslim ban

“I think we are now revisiting some of these demons that have haunted the history of this country and it’s really not just about Muslims, it’s about saving the soul of this country.”

Nabil Echchaibi is chair and associate professor of media studies and associate director of the Center for Media, Religion at the University of Colorado. He is the director of their Muslims in the Mountain West Project and is currently writing his book, “Unmosquing Islam: Muslim Media and Alternative Modernity.”

He describes President Trump’s executive order banning immigration from 7 Muslim-majority countries as sickening.

“I think like many other people I thought this was part of election campaign posturing, that it would never come true, and here we are calling into question some of the most fundamental pillars of this country.  Frankly it’s sickening, it’s disturbing. I thought these things were stuff you would find in history books and we were not going to revisit some of the darkest moments in the history of this country, and here we are.  I think we are now revisiting some of these demons that have haunted the history of this country and it’s really not just about Muslims, it’s about saving the soul of this country.”

Echchaibi says he is heartened by the outpouring of support from the American public which lead to protests at airports around the country.

“I think this is very comforting and reassuring but still, this is an administration unfortunately that instead of acting as a voice of calm, is really acting increasingly as a lightening match trying to pit one group against another. This is very dangerous, it’s reckless, it’s no longer funny or curious…this is downright reckless.”

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