Source: The Daily Caller

By HARRIS ZAFAR; an adjunct instructor of Islamic studies, author of Demystifying Islam: Tackling the Tough Questions, National Spokesperson, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

Last night, those vying for the Republican nomination spent two hours arguing why they would make this nation more safe and secure than anyone else on the stage. Aside from the false or gray statements that are already being debunked by fact checkers, I was amazed by the general solution being proposed to stop the growth and terror of Daesh (otherwise known as ISIS). From banning all Muslims entering the U.S., to carpet bombing entire cities where Daesh militants live (amidst a greater number of normal civilians), to blocking the internet, to killing the families of suspected terrorists, I can only imagine how much the Daesh terrorists enjoyed watching 2 hours of prime video footage they will likely use in their next recruitment video.

And that’s the problem. Such rhetoric sadly plays right into the ultimate strategy of Daesh — to convince naive and disturbed individuals that they are just as strong as the United States, that they have the power to take America down and change the world, and that America has a problem with Muslims. Whenever Daesh can successfully convince people of these things, their recruitment succeeds and their numbers increase. For the record, I am neither for nor against any particular political party. Rather, I find that some who are vying for the presidency of the United States have simply refused to acknowledge the value of Muslims to help in the fight on terror; instead, they espouse rhetoric that has fanned the flames of anti-Muslim bigotry and violence.

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