Muslim Leaders Rally, Trump Defends their Restricted Entry
Local Editor
Hours before US President Donald Trump enforces a Muslim ban and hours after he ordered federal agents to start building the wall along the Mexican border, Muslim leaders held an emergency rally to protest the executive orders.
In Washington Square Park, hundreds of people held signs, with "No human is illegal" and "Every Muslim I've ever known is a better American than Donald Trump". At least five helicopters swirled overhead, and hundreds of cell phones, lit up, created a white wall opposite the iconic arch in the park.
For his part, Trump said late Wednesday that his plan to limit the entry of people from several Muslim countries was necessary because the world is "a total mess".
Interviewed on ABC News, he denied that it was a ban on Muslims.
"No it's not the Muslim ban, but it is countries that have tremendous terror," Trump said.
"And it is countries that people are going to come in and cause us tremendous problems. Our country has enough problems without allowing people to come in, who in many cases or in some cases, are looking to do tremendous destruction."
Trump refused to be pinned down on which countries he was talking about, but did say that he believed that Europe "made a tremendous mistake by allowing these millions of people to go into Germany and various other countries, and all you have to do is take a look, it's a disaster what's happening over there."
According to a draft executive order published in US media, refugees from war-torn Syria will be indefinitely banned, the broader US refugee admissions program will be suspended for 120 days, and all visa applications from countries deemed a terrorist threat -- Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen -- will be halted for 30 days.
Trump was asked if he was concerned that this would anger Muslims around the world.
"Anger? There's plenty of anger right now. How can you have more?" he said.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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