An Open Letter To Mr. Donald Trump

Image Courtesy : Salon.com

To,
Mr. Donald J. Trump,
President, USA.

Howdy, sir?
Let me first congratulate you on your election to the White House.
Now, let’s get to the matter at hand. Who do you think is an American? Is a third-generation German Jew qualified to be called an American? Is a fourth-generation Japanese guy qualified? Do people whose forefathers came from Asia, Africa or any other region of the world to settle in “The New World” qualify?

Maybe no, if we go by the playbook of the 45th President Of The United States (POTUS), your playbook.
We have seen how women have marched on Washington and across the world against you, and in support of equal rights and equal opportunities for the fairer sex. There have been diktats against US National Park Service. You call the media “dishonest.” Steve Bannon, your point man, called them “the opposition party.” Setting these aside, I want to ask – Who really is an American?

The White Race that you overtly and covertly say is American came to those shores in 1492. Are they Americans? If they are, so are those people of African-American origin whose forefathers were brought there as slaves and tortured and suppressed for centuries. And what of the people of Hispanic, Asian and Arab origin who have contributed their own bit to the making of the oldest democracy in the world and the economic, media and sports engine of the world? Hargobind Khurana, Elias Zerhouni, Mostafa El-Sayed, Najeeb Halaby, Sammy Sosa, Oscar De La Hoya, even Steve Jobs. Are they any less American?
America is a nation of immigrants. It is a shame that those celebrating White Christian America as the “True America” fail to see the efforts and contributions of other communities. Nor do they care to see the guiding principles that the Founding Fathers followed. America was meant to be the land that welcomed people irrespective of their race, colour, gender or creed in its quest to become the greatest country in the world, the leader in spheres as varied as education, economy, research, technology and military might, among others.
As for you sir, your own mother is an immigrant. Your wife is an immigrant. Isn’t it the height of hypocrisy for such an individual to say he’ll build a wall to keep “rapist” Mexicans out. That he’ll stop people from “terror-prone” countries (primarily from the Gulf region) from getting refuge and asylum in the US. Really? You’re a half-immigrant yourself, sir. Why don’t you cancel your own mother’s, wife’s and your own American visas first? And calling countries terror-prone is rich too, coming from a US President. Your country created the tinder box that led to the rise of the Islamic State. Your country is still bombing Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Somalia and Syria. How cool of you to call them war-zones and then turn a blind eye towards their sufferings! Your country supports the Saudi government – the autocratic, conservative monarchy supporting Salafist and Wahhabist extremist groups across the world. Your country keeps providing billions under some head or other to Pakistan when your own agencies say that Pakistan supports and finances terror in Afghanistan and India. And this is a country that provided refuge to Osama Bin Laden!
“Make America Great Again” — This won’t be achieved by pitting one race against another and supporting xenophobic groups like KKK. It won’t be achieved by building a wall that will cost the already-burdened American taxpayer billions, now that Mexico has refused to pay for it. And oh, have you given a thought to the inevitable? People WILL go over and under the wall. You have heard of digging, haven’t you? Or do you think you’ll stop even that from happening?

And while we’re at it, let me take up a related point. Your vision of America seems to be White and Christian. But was the Son of God White? Was he the blond, blue-eyed dazzler churches across the western world show him to be? How could he be? He was born in Jerusalem. You and white supremacists who deify you ought to know that Jerusalem is in the Middle East. The same area whose residents are now not welcome to your country. The same area which has been, and still is being, exploited by the West for oil. And yet, Jesus Christ wanted universal love and brotherhood. He wanted man to love man. Are the steps being taken by your government going to achieve that? No! Even a literal interpretation of that “man should love man” quote ought to be allowed. Pope Francis himself says that God loves all, even homosexuals. Why this homophobia then?

A lot of people say they don’t accept you as the American President, their President. But, despite what they might say, you have received a mandate to lead your nation, and the Free World by extension. Prove the naysayers wrong. Prove to us that you can provide the soothing balm that neglected and marginalised communities of America need now. Prove to us that creating jobs for the American middle class doesn’t mean you have to demonize Hispanics and Muslims. Prove that even in this New America, your America, immigrants are welcome. That you will attract the best minds and people on the planet. Because that is what history will judge you by. In 50 years, you might very well be in your heavenly abode. But your karma, sir, your karma will stay here only. If not for others, do it for yourself. Do it for America.
In conclusion, let me reproduce a few lines from the man who threw out the British from my country, the same Brits that you lot packed off in 1776. Here’s what he said :

What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?

Regards,

A fellow human being.