Don't Allow ISIS to Take Away our Humanity. Help Syrian Refugees!

When I read that Illinois was one of the 31 states not accepting refugees, I was shocked. 

Chicago is an amazing melting pot of diversity that I am proud to call my home.  We are lucky; thankfully we are not in a position to risk our lives in order to escape a brutal and violent civil war.  I cannot begin to imagine the distress Syrian refugees are facing.  The only way to respond to this crisis is to have some humanity and accept Syrian refugees with open arms.

Illinois U.S. Representative Tammy Duckworth agrees and discusses the fact that the Islamic State relies on tapping into our countries most tender moments of fear by stating, “This campaign relies in part on provoking an understandable but ultimately self-defeating reaction among horrified Westerners against all Muslims, which perpetuates a cycle of distrust and conflict”.

If we do not allow refugees into Illinois we will be responding exactly the way the Islamic State wants us to.  We will feed directly into the propaganda of the Islamic State that says Westerners are against all Muslims.

This fear-based ideology that we are being told by the nation's 31 governors do not take into consideration the intricate screening process of accepting refugees… which can take up to two years. 

Refugees have to go through numerous screening agencies including the U.N. High Commission for Refugees, the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center, the National Counterterrorism Center, the Department of State, and Defense and Homeland Security.

Not to mention, these Syrian refugees that we are not allowing into our state… are mostly women and children.

Let’s show the world that we are better than this.  We will not allow fear strip us of our compassion.

Tell Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner to reject anti-refugee legislation and allow Syrian refugees in Illinois now!