- 3 minutes ago
- From the section US & Canada
Image copyright AFP
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has called for a "total and complete" halt to Muslims entering the US, in the wake of the deadly California shootings.
He said that polling showed a "hatred" by Muslims towards Americans that could put the nation at risk.The border shutdown should remain "until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on".
The White House swiftly criticised Mr Trump's statement as "un-American".
It is contrary to US values and its national security interests, a statement said.
California attackers had target practice
Mr Trump has made anti-immigration proposals a central plank of his campaign, calling for a wall on the Mexico border to keep out "rapists" and "drug addicts".
But in recent weeks, since the Paris terror attacks, he has turned his attention to the Muslim population in the US, calling for the surveillance of mosques and a Muslim registration database.
This rhetoric increased after the attacks in California last week, carried out by a Muslim couple believed to have been radicalised.
Image copyright AFP Mr Trump's statement to reporters on Monday said polling firms like the Center for Security Policy had data that showed a hatred by a significant number of Muslims against Americans.
"Without looking at the various polling data, it is obvious to anybody the hatred is beyond comprehension. Where this hatred comes from and why, we will have to determine.
"Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in Jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life."
When asked by The Hill if that included Muslim Americans who may currently be abroad, his spokeswoman said: "Mr Trump says everyone."
Soon after his statement was released, Mr Trump's Republican rival Ben Carson called on all visitors to the US to "register and be monitored" during their stay.
But his spokesman added: "We do not and would not advocate being selective on one's religion."
Another Republican presidential hopeful, Senator Lindsey Graham, urged all those running to condemn Mr Trump's remarks.
- The Trump and Carson phenomenon explained
- Profile: Hillary Clinton
- Is this man Hillary Clinton's worst nightmare?
- The full 2016 field
- A Republican party split in two
- The socialist candidate for president
- Video What Jeb could learn from George
- Donald Trump wants to deport every single illegal immigrant - could he?
- Is Ben Carson a real front-runner?
- Five reasons Marco Rubio may stumble
- Ben Carson compares abortion to slavery
- Five reasons Trump still tops polls
- The 'no filter' candidate for president
- The brain surgeon with presidential ambitions
US & Canada
California attackers had target practice
- 15 minutes ago
- From the section US & Canada
Google: Make 'spell-check' for hate
- 28 minutes ago
- From the section Technology
- 1 comments
No comments:
Post a Comment