"Offensive and hysterical": Obama lashes Republicans over Syrian refugees

Barack Obama has hit back at Republicans who want to stop the US taking in Syrian refugees – with the president saying some of the language used in the wake of the Paris attacks only serves to strengthen the Islamic State terror group.

Obama rounded on Republicans in Congress who are preparing legislation that threatens to suspend a US refugee program for Syrians – and on state governors who have said threatened to try to block the refugees’ entry. The Obama administration has revealed details of its screening system to reassure sceptical lawmakers worried about terrorist infiltration.

The House speaker, Paul Ryan, escalated the political row that has been growing since the Paris attacks by announcing on Tuesday that he had formed a taskforce to examine ways of forcing Barack Obama’s hand on the issue. 

Obama, speaking in the Philippines where is attending a regional summit, said: “We are not well served when, in response to a terrorist attack, we descend into fear and panic. We don’t make good decisions if it’s based on hysteria or an exaggeration of risks.

“When individuals say we should have a religious test and that only Christians, proven Christians should be admitted, that’s offensive.

“I cannot think of a more potent recruitment tool for Isil [Isis] than some of the rhetoric that’s been coming out of here during the course of this debate.

“Isil seeks to exploit the idea that there’s war between Islam and the west, and when you see individuals in positions of responsibility suggesting Christians are more worthy of protection than Muslims are in a war-torn land, that feeds the Isil narrative. It’s counter-productive. And it needs to stop.

“And I would add, these are the same folks who suggested they’re so tough that just ‘talk to Putin’ or staring down Isil [will work] … but they are scared of widows and orphans coming into the United States of America as part of our tradition of compassion. At first they were too scared of the press being too tough on them in the debates. Now they are scared of three-year-old orphans. That doesn’t seem so tough to me.”

Response:

This seems to be a very controversial topic in America right now, whether or not refugees from Syria should still be welcomed into the U.S, I definitely agree with President Obama on this issue, and that as a nation it shouldn't be taking extreme measures based on fear. The Syrian refugees are in a desperate time, and the U.S should not make the mistake of doing nothing when they are very much capable of doing something. If the U.S has been known for being compassionate towards strangers , why stop now? I believe this is the time they should persevere and take action, not making any silly assumptions about three-year olds, and discriminating against religion. Not all Muslims are terrorists , this simply shows how xenophobic the Republicans are.

Roberts, Dan. ""Offensive and Hysterical": Obama Lashes Republicans over Syrian Refugees." The Guardian. The Guardian, 18 Nov. 2015. Web. 18 Nov. 2015. <http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/nov/17/republicans-congress-syrian-refugees-us-paris-attacks>.