Mosques see themselves as a refuge for immigrants.

Representatives of a mosque in Cincinnati announced during the presidential election that they intended to become a sanctuary congregation ready to shelter migrants - whether Muslim or not, but after Trump's victory they changed their minds, writes NPR.

Фото: Depositphotos

Under President Trump, illegal immigrants in the United States came under tremendous pressure. ICE has dramatically stepped up its efforts to detain and deport undocumented persons.

It became a cornerstone of Trump's campaign, and after his election, officials at a Cincinnati mosque announced they intended to become a sanctuary congregation willing to shelter migrants—whether Muslim or not.

But just three weeks after the election, they decided not to provide asylum in the mosque.

“I believe that declaring oneself a sanctuary has its consequences, whether it is a mosque, a church, a synagogue or anything else,” said Imam Omar Suleiman in René Montagne.

Suleiman is the founder and president of the Institute of Islamic Studies. Yakina in Dallas, Texas. He says that ICE agents are particularly active in Dallas, which leads in the number of deportations after the election of Donald Trump.

Last year, Suleiman was one of the people who called on the mosque to join the shelter movement in response to increased deportation. The problems faced by Muslim and Latin American communities are similar, he said.

“I believe that the tools that were used against immigrants are the same tools that were used against refugees and are the same tools that were used against the Muslim community as a whole, which is dehumanization. This allows people to subconsciously embrace the idea that we are somehow not deserving of the same level of dignity, respect and freedom as everyone else,” says Suleiman.

But there are already strong anti-Muslim sentiments, he adds, pointing to the burning of mosques that occurred after the election of President Trump. He says that Muslims are already under scrutiny, and additional attention to this may exacerbate what is already a problem, and threatens both the Muslim and Latin American community.

“The idea is that the purpose of shelter is to provide safety, and if we cannot provide emotional, physical safety, then we will not achieve the goal,” Suleiman says.

“You know, there are other ways to express solidarity and support, but by declaring your particular mosque a refuge, you can potentially jeopardize this particular Muslim community, and then, obviously, the immigrants themselves who will seek refuge will be under this tight control ".

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