President Trump Turning Blind Eye to Saudi Crimes: Scholar

“As fanatic as he (Trump) is, he would dare undermine US relations with Saudi Arabia. So this (Muslim ban) is not about fighting terrorism, this is about racism, Islamophobia fused with continuing the same old policy of turning a blind eye to criminal policies of America’s allies,” Pappe, the Israeli historian professor and author of the Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, told the Tasnim News Agency.

Following is the full text of the interview.

Tasnim: On January 27, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order that imposes a 90-day entry ban for citizens of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya, and Somalia, blocks refugees from Syria indefinitely, and suspends all refugee admissions for 120 days. The move has sparked confusion and anger at major US airports. In fact, Trump's executive order is a Muslim ban. This is while a recent study from Duke University sociologist Charles Kurzman has found that Muslims living in the United State were involved in only one-third of 1 percent of all murders in the country in 2016. What is the aim of such a move? What repercussions will this have?

Pappe: This is a purely racist and Islamophobic move. It has nothing do with the national security of the USA or its war against terrorism. And reminds of another period in history when people were banned from living in a country, and even threatened with death, just because of their religion.

The danger of such a policy is first that given the personality of this president it would not be limited to Muslims; it is clear that Latino Americans are next. Secondly, it increases unnecessarily the tension between the USA and these countries who are in regions that are already volatile and it could trigger further violence and clashes. The only positives one can see is that maybe it will accelerate his downfall or that American involvement in the Middle East would be more limited.

Tasnim: How do you see this from a legal perspective? Is there any legal procedure whereby the order can be reversed? Kindly explain.

Pappe: I am not an expert on the American legal system, but I think Presidential executive orders can only be challenged by the Supreme Court and the Congress which both are quite on the President side. However, the USA is a federal state so courageous governors and judges there can limit its impact. Surely, this is against the spirit of the American constitution and more importantly ethos as a land of immigrants. As for the international law, this discriminatory treatment of citizens and refugees violates the basic principles of international law.

Tasnim: As you know Trump has excluded Saudi Arabia and certain Persian Gulf states in his order. Back in July 2016, the US government released 28 pages of a congressional report on the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, which show the Saudi government may have had a hand in the attacks. “While in the United States, some of the September 11 hijackers were in contact with, and received support or assistance from, individuals who may be connected to the Saudi Government…there is information, primarily from FBI sources, that at least two of those individuals were alleged by some to be Saudi intelligence officers,” reads part of the report. What is your take on this?

Pappe: It is obvious that behind the allegedly fanatic Trump there is also the same old American hypocrisy. As fanatic as he is, he would dare undermine US relations with Saudi Arabia. So this is not about fighting terrorism, this is about racism, Islamophobia fused with continuing the same old policy of turning a blind eye to criminal policies of America’s allies.