An Open Letter from a Pakistani Immigrant to President Trump
The author is an immigrant from Pakistan, a freelance writer and a 2011-2012 Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow.
Mr. Donald J. Trump
President of the United States of America
Congratulations, Mr. Trump on becoming the 45th president of the United States.
I want to take this opportunity to inform you how much you impressed me during your presidential campaign with your strong will and the determination to confront and overcome the challenges you faced from your political opponents and media organizations. Your victory and ascension to president of the United States is a sign that you have not been alone; you have been surrounded by a team of highly capable officials, and above all, the almighty God who has made it possible for you to become the president of this great country, the land of opportunity.
I must commend you on your strong stance to tackle the menace of terrorism and extremism and to initiate efforts to eradicate it. We have seen in the past that the phrase "Islamic extremism" has been used by officials from the former administration with so much caution and refrain, even when it was well evident which forces were responsible for destroying the peace of the world, and this country. I want to cite the horrific shooting at the San Bernardino in December 2015, which claimed the lives of 14 innocent citizens.
The federal investigations about the San Bernardino Shootings proved that the couple was radicalized long before they carried out the shootings, and the officials also traced the couple’s link to the Islamic terrorism.
Afterwards, former president Barack Obama in his address to the nation on Dec 5, 2015 was reluctant to term it an act of the Islamic terrorism. “The attacks show a need to "prevent people from falling victim to these hateful ideologies," he said.
We have also witnessed over the past few years how Christians in particular have become prey to Islamic extremism and have been brutally killed. You have also talked about this in your recent interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network with reference to the persecuted Christians of Syria.
The persecution of the Christians in Muslim dominated countries is a big issue and the way you underscored it is certainly unprecedented.
Another important issue that was neglected by the previous administrations and that you mentioned was the difficulty that Christians in Muslim nations had in obtaining a US visa. I must commend you for talking about this candidly, extending helping hands to the persecuted Christians and giving them priority as refugees.
Born and raised as a Christian in a Muslim dominated Pakistan, I can well relate to the fact that when Christians are persecuted there, or in any other part of the world; its very hard for them to find a safe haven, and just like you mentioned getting the US visa for them is impossible.
Just like any other immigrant who has come to the US to live a better and a secure life; I pray that God gives you wisdom, health and strength to carry on your duties as the president of the United States of America.
May all your plans and decisions regarding the safety of the US, and the persecuted Christians in other parts of the world be fruitful.
I want to conclude this letter with this verse from the Bible with a promise from God:
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” ( )
