US President Donald Trump’s tweet on Friday that prayer rugs were found on the US-Mexico border is simply the most recent indiciation that the US President equates Islam with Terorism.
Quoting a Washington Examiner story, Trump tweeted that border ranchers have been finding prayer rugs “those of the Muslim faith kneel on as they worship” near the US-Mexico border during recent months.
The Washington Examiner cites in their report one anonymous Arizona rancher who refused to identify herself out of “fear of retaliation by cartels”.
Trump’s tweet also indicates that the identity of people crossing the border will turn out to be a “big surprise” in reference to terrorism threats that will prove his point on the US need for a border wall.
Rumors on prayer rugs found on US borders are not something new
No evidence was provided and no images of the alleged prayer rugs were also released.
On the other hand, some reporters who cover the border stories confirmed that migrants often carry small rugs to use over the barbed wire on the border, which they leave it after reaching the US side.
Prayer rugs on borders’ rumors have always caught attention of the US public amid fears of terrorist threats that might be brought to the US by illegal immigration.
On Twitter, Trump’s tweet was received by a wave of criticism and mockery.
American Muslims had also a say on it.
Many pointed out the similarity between Trump’s prayer rugs suggestion and the plot of Hollywood’s movie “Sicario 2: Day of the Soldado”.
The movie that revolves around the drug war along the border and opens with border agents chasing after a group of migrants, one of whom turns out to be a Muslim suicide bomber.
Some users questioned Trump’s aim behind his suggestion, raising doubts that it is aimed at promoting his border wall plan which is now suffering from a federal shutdown that has been going in for more than three weeks now, the longest in the US history.
Trump’s suggestion was also described as an “Islamophobic” for playing on the fears of Americans.
It led Chris Murphy, US. Senator from Connecticut and James Martin to slam back at Trump’s ignorant suggestion to equal Muslims with terrorists.
