The famous lines of a poem have given hope to millions of people searching for a new home.
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
The poem, The New Colossus, was written by Emma Lazarus in 1883. These lines appear on the plaque at the base of the Statue of Liberty in New York. But today, those words ring hollow.
On Friday night, U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order, keeping refugees from entering the United States for 120 days and barring immigrants from seven nations in Asia and Africa.
The seven nations — Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen — all have predominantly Muslim populations. As a result, the executive order appears to have an anti-Islamic tone, even though Trump has said this is not the case.
Trump’s executive order came as a surprise, even though he had promised “extreme vetting” during last year’s presidential campaign.
Some travellers, in the air when the order was signed, were not allowed to enter the U.S. Others were detained. Some were sent back.
The story is still unfolding as there are questions about whether Trump’s executive order is legal.
The message at the base of the Statue of Liberty remains, but does the welcome still extend to all?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded by posting a positive message on Twitter the following day.
“To those feeling persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada”
The Tweet reaffirmed what many of us, myself included, have already experienced. Canada is a home for people from all around the world, a place where all will be welcomed.
Some of us have stories of one or more in our families arriving as refugees. Others have many stories of immigrating in search of economic opportunities. Some sought religious freedom. Many wanted a better life for their children and their children’s children. This was the case for my grandparents when they arrived in the 1920s.
We have not forgotten the kindness shown to us and to our families.
Canada continues to welcome newcomers.
Since Nov. 4, 2015, a total of 39,671 Syrian refugees have arrived in Canada. Another 17,912 refugee resettlement applications are in process, and 1,993 applications have been finalized, although the people have not yet arrived in Canada. Summerland has sponsored three families of Syrian refugees.
And yet, perhaps Trudeau’s welcoming message is not embraced by all.
There is an anti-immigrant and anti-Islamic sentiment held by some Canadians, and it showed itself on the weekend.
A shooting at a mosque in Quebec City on Sunday, during evening prayers, left six people dead and two others critically injured.
Sadly, the shooting on Sunday isn’t the only anti-Islamic incident in Canada.
The National Council of Canadian Muslims has a map tracking anti-Muslim incidents across Canada. It can be found online at www.nccm.ca/map.
The incident in Quebec City on the weekend was the third recorded this year. Last year, 63 incidents were reported and in 2015, there were 59. Incidents include hate speech, verbal assaults, vandalism, threats, online harassment and physical assaults.
Canada is striving for a reputation as a welcoming country, and efforts to take in immigrants and refugees are a good start.
It is just as important to ensure people of all faiths, all cultures and all ethnicities continue to feel welcomed and safe after they have arrived.
John Arendt is the editor of the Summerland Review.
