YSU prof says immigration order could backfire on America

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown State University professor Michael Jerryson is an internationally recognized scholar on religion and violence, and he has concerns about the immigration order signed by President Donald Trump.

Jerryson praised Trump’s desire to make the country safe, but said the order could have the opposite effect.

ISIS recruits followers by suggesting the West is at war with Islam, Jerryson said, and its followers have already been using Trump’s order as a recruiting tool. Trump often criticized former President Barack Obama for not saying “radical Islamic terrorism,” but Jerryson said that was strategic, to avoid creating an us vs. them mentality.

As intelligence agencies pore over data to determine what radicalizes people, Jerryson said few patterns have been found, but followers often lack an understanding of Islam.

“The focus on refugees is not really addressing the problem here,” he said. “The problem is educating people about Islam.” He said the policy has the potential to radicalize domestic Muslims who view it as unjust. Jerryson noted that ISIS has been engaging in a public relations battle with the West, and the U.S. needs to be conscious of how its actions are perceived. The current messaging likely contributed to a recent increase in hate crimes against Muslims, in his view.

“We need to be aware of how whatever is being said can be interpreted by people of different religions,” he said.

“And these people aren’t just over there in other countries; they’re our neighbors. They’re us.”