The World Reacts to Candidate’s Proposed Ban on Muslims Entering US

The leading Republican candidate for US president handed the Islamic State terrorists a new recruiting message by proposing a ban on Muslims entering the United States. Other candidates, both Democrats and Republicans, swiftly condemned the proposal as “unhinged” and “unconstitutional.” The billionaire, a former reality television star known for extemporaneous and shocking comments, called for “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on.” Annie Gowen reports on global reactions for the Washington Post: “The heated rhetoric left many Muslims feeling bewildered, scared and angry.” Refugees worry about safe shelter. An Afghan urged Americans to rise up and speak out against the hatred. An Israeli columnist compared the cheers at the campaign rally to early days of Nazi Germany and the denigration of Jews. A columnist in India expressed confidence that Americans would fight back to preserve the values of democracy. The world has more than 1 billion Muslims; many Muslim nations are key US allies. Global observers should know that the candidate leads the Republican field with 30 percent support, and a mere 23 percent of US voters identify as Republican. – YaleGlobal