Editorial illustration – An imagined apology, an essential American principle: We are all Americans, regardless of faith or background.
Abdul El-Sayed’s policies are fair ground for debate. His Muslim faith is no justification for comparing him to terrorists. Trump should withdraw the comparison and apologize
By: Ya Libnan Editorial Board , Opinion
A president should unite the American people, especially when invoking a tragedy that wounded the entire nation. Donald Trump’s attack on Abdul El-Sayed, Michigan’s Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, falls shamefully short of that responsibility.
At his October 25 rally in Port Huron, Trump invoked September 11 and the resistance of passengers aboard United Flight 93 while urging voters to stop El-Sayed. Reuters reported that Trump portrayed the candidate as an extremist without providing evidence that he is a terrorist. Such a comparison deserves unequivocal condemnation.
El-Sayed is an American seeking to serve his country through its democratic institutions. Voters have every right to question his judgment, examine his associations, challenge his proposals and reject his candidacy. But none of those rights makes religious prejudice acceptable.
Consider his record of achievement. El-Sayed graduated from the University of Michigan, studied at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and earned a doctorate in public health. He received his medical degree from Columbia University, where he also served as an assistant professor of epidemiology before becoming Detroit’s top public health official. These are substantial qualifications that deserve serious consideration.
Epidemiology studies how disease spreads, whom it affects and how illness can be prevented. That knowledge can inform decisions about healthcare, environmental hazards and the conditions that shorten people’s lives.
Academic distinction does not automatically make someone a good senator. It does, however, provide a reason to engage with his ideas seriously. America should welcome accomplished citizens into public service and judge what they propose to do.
If Trump objects to El-Sayed’s healthcare agenda, he should explain why. If he disputes the candidate’s foreign policy, he should identify the disagreement. If he believes particular statements or associations deserve scrutiny, he should present the evidence accurately.
Comparisons with the perpetrators of September 11 do none of that. They encourage voters to see a Muslim candidate as a threat before considering his record.
The principle at stake extends far beyond one Senate race. An American’s religion cannot become a presumption of disloyalty. Muslim citizens do not owe their country a special proof of innocence that other Americans are never asked to provide.
Nor should the suffering of September 11 become an instrument for imposing collective blame. Responsibility belongs to those who planned, supported and carried out the attacks. It cannot reasonably be transferred to a candidate because he shares their religion.
We should also reject a competition over which community suffered most. The victims and their families deserve remembrance without having their grief turned against innocent people.
Trump’s rhetoric is especially troubling because presidential words carry consequences beyond a campaign rally. When a president portrays a political opponent as a terrorist without evidence, he risks encouraging suspicion toward ordinary citizens who share that opponent’s faith or background.
Republicans should reject this conduct as firmly as Democrats. Defending religious liberty requires consistency, including when the person being targeted holds political views one strongly opposes.
This argument would be exactly the same if a Democratic president targeted a Muslim Republican—or attacked a Christian or Jewish candidate through collective religious blame.
The presidency belongs to the whole country. Its obligations reach every citizen, including those who vote against its occupant.
Trump should withdraw the comparison and apologize. He can campaign vigorously for his preferred candidate while respecting the citizenship and dignity of the opposition.
Michigan voters must decide whether Abdul El-Sayed belongs in the Senate. They deserve a debate about their future, their healthcare and their livelihoods.
September 11 should summon national solidarity. Using it to cast suspicion on a fellow American seeking public office betrays that responsibility.
Mr. President, be the president of all Americans.
