Furqan Mehmud, the outreach liaison for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community chapter for Fitchburg, talks is concerned President Donald Trump s travel ban of several Middle Eastern countries.
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| File photo: Furqan Mehmud speaking to a gathering in Fitchburg |
Source/Credit: Sentinel & Enterprise
By Elizabeth Dobbins | February 1, 2017
FITCHBURG -- City Councilor-At-Large Dean Tran, who entered the U.S. as a refugee over 35 years ago, sees the temporary admission ban on refugees and residents of seven Muslim majority countries signed last week as a possibly way to reassess the country's vetting system and separate the "criminals from the good people."
"I agree with any process that would provide the upmost safety to the American people," he said.
However, the executive orders signed by President Donald Trump have caused some concern for local Muslims.
For Furqan Mehmud, Outreach Liaison at the Fitchburg Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, when he learned of the executive order, he felt "bad."
"I don't know what's going to happen then (after the temporary periods end), but for now it's still not a good thing," he said.
Under the order, residents from seven countries -- Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen -- will not be granted admission to the U.S. for 90 days. Another order suspends refugee admissions for 120 days with exceptions made for persecuted religious minorities on a case-by-case basis.
Tran said the vetting process should be for everyone, not just targeting specific groups, but these countries were named as countries of concern during the Obama administration.
"If the executive order allows the country to have a more thorough vetting process, then I am in favor of it," he said.
Tran's own immigration experience has influenced his views, he said.
In 1980, at the age of 5, he and his family were granted admission to the U.S. from Vietnam following a two-year vetting process, which they spent living in Thailand.
"We took the correct path to freedom," he said.
Mehmud said he does not support illegal immigration, or skirting the rules, such as obtaining a VISA for school and then not attending school.
"I don't like illegal people coming here, but if you come here a refugee or aslyee (a person seeking or granted political asylum) that's fine as long as when you're here you're loyal to the country," he said. "Most of the people are. It's just a few bad apples that distort the image of our community"
He said his wife arrived in the U.S. from Pakistan in 2014 and, though the process to get a green card is "difficult," he said they are committed to going through all the legal steps.
"I'm still going to try to go through this process until she gets a green card," he said.
He said does not believe the new presidential administration will impact this process.
According to Mehmud, there are elements of the order that feel discriminatory, particularly for refugees, but the Fitchburg Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has no intention of participating in protests against the order.
"It causes worry, but at the same time, in our community we're not going to raise an outcry," he said. "We're not going to protest."
Riots and blocking streets "sets a bad image," but there are other channels -- such as supporting state legislation or speaking to state representatives -- that he said the group can use, he said.
Mehmud said the Muslim community has gotten "big time" support from the Fitchburg community and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community plans to continue outreach efforts emphasizing that true Islam rejects terrorism and supports the equality of women.
Weather allowing, this Saturday the community's youth group plans to stand on Main Street with signs offering a chance to "Meet a Muslim." He said he also expects a large attendance at the weekly "Coffee, Cake and True Islam" outreach event at the community center at 6 p.m. Saturday on 370 Main St.
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Read original post here: Temporary admission ban raises concerns for local Muslims
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