With spurts of radical Islamic violence in Europe and the Middle East, the American public lives in a state of fear. Terrorist attacks across the globe have necessitated an honest look at ourselves as a nation.
Some say we must welcome and harbor those that are attempting to escape a violent civil war in the Middle East. Others, such as the current Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, have sworn to close the borders to all Muslims, spreading a message of fear.
The fact is hundreds of refugee children from the Middle East are currently attending Idaho schools, according to the Idaho State Department of Education.
This means that very soon, hundreds of prospective college students, born in the Middle East, will be looking toward further education in our state. These students will surely be hardworking and prepared to prove themselves, but they will face unique and sobering challenges.
As refugees, they will grow up in an America that is wrapped in fear of their religion and ethnicity. We can either stand by and allow them to inevitably fail, or we as Idahoans can take responsibility and foster their continuing education.
This is why both the state of Idaho and its universities should ensure that every refugee student can afford to attend college, even if it means taking a financial hit and offering them large or full-ride scholarships. It is absolutely critical in this moment of extreme paranoia and anger that we submit not to hate but rather embrace the “tired and huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” as the great poet Emma Lazarus once said.
It is not difficult to see that our school lacks diversity.
However, we have been gifted a fantastic opportunity to expand our institution’s reach. Imagine Syrian civil engineering students taking their Idaho-given education back to their original homes, to restore their destroyed cities. What better way to show off what a great state we have than to educate those that have fled across the globe in pursuit of living a peaceful life?
There are certainly those who have power in our state’s legislative system that share Trump’s position and believe that we should not cater to the people who have found refuge in Idaho. These, primarily Republican representatives, are mostly Christian — as evidenced by the fact that last year there was a serious movement to officially proclaim Idaho a Judeo-Christian state. These representatives will claim to be Christian and yet they ignore the most integral parts of Christ’s teachings, such as the story of the Good Samaritan.
Samaritans and Jews had a tense relationship during Christ’s time, much like it might be said that Christians and Muslims find themselves today. Yet the story of the Good Samaritan is not a story of hate but of love, as the Samaritan finds a badly injured Jew helpless on the side of the road. Rather than abandon him, the Samaritan finds the Jew shelter, ensures his restoration of health and pays an innkeeper to watch over him.
If Christ himself advocated for the spending of money to ensure the safety and protection of the helpless, how can Christians, like Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter, who called for President Obama to halt our nation’s refugee resettlement program, claim it is not our responsibility to ensure refugee children are properly cared for? They are not here illegally. They would much rather be living safely at home. Treating refugees as foreign aliens will do nothing but ensure that the fear and anger that causes so much death and destruction to continue.
So I call upon those with the means in Idaho to ensure that no refugee child is left behind, and I call upon them to act as Christ acted. The potential financial hit is a problem of this world, our kindness and mercy is a problem for the next.
Sam Balas can be reached at [email protected]