Petition calls for Trump UK ban

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

2016 United States presidential election

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A petition reached over 300,000 signatures today urging Donald Trump, considered the front

runner to become the Republican Party's candidate for President of the United States, be

banned from entering the United Kingdom. This follows Mr Trump's comments

that Muslims should be blocked from entering the US.

Donald Trump defended his policy on Tuesday of banning Muslims from the US

Image: Gage Skidmore.

Also, Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, removed Trump from his role as business

ambassador for Scotland.

On Monday, Mr Trump said he wants a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the

US" until the country can understand "what the hell is going on" with regard to terrorism. He said

in a statement that a large number of Muslims show "great hatred towards Americans".

Trump's comments on Monday came days after a shooting in San Bernardino, California by Syed

Rizwan Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malik, in which fourteen people were killed. US

President Barack Obamasaid in an address from the Oval Office on Sunday the attack was an

act of terrorism.

Donald Trump's statement has been widely criticised, including by members of his own political

party. Republican Matt Moore said the policy is a "bad idea" and Speaker of the House Paul

Ryan said "this is not Conservatism".

Democrat candidate for President Hillary Clinton described Trump's comments as "shameful".

Secretary of State John Kerry argued Trump's statement would not help in the ongoing fight

against Islamic State(IS), saying his remarks were "not constructive".

Trump argued that his policy idea is "no different" to that of former President Franklin D.

Roosevelt'spolicy which saw large-scale confinement of Japanese US citizens in internment

camps following Japan's attacks on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Mr Trump also said the policy should

not be implemented on Muslims currently living within the US.

Kassem Allie from the Islamic Center of America, accused Trump of evoking fear "reminiscent

of Nazi Germany and Stalin". The Pentagon expressed concern Trump's demands could be

counterproductive in the fight against IS, saying it "bolsters Isil's narrative".

Mr Trump also said on Tuesday that police in London are "afraid for their lives" in some areas

because of radicalisation in the city. These comments were rebuffed by the United Kingdom

Prime Minister David Cameron who said Trump was "simply wrong" and Mayor of London Boris

Johnson said the claim was "ridiculous".