Mohammad Rahami, an Afghan immigrant, alerted the FBItwo years before his son allegedly detonated a bomb inNew York’s Chelsea district.

W hen AliouNiasse, a Mus-lim immigrantfrom Senegal,

noticed and reportedsmoke coming from a carparked in Times Square inMay 2010, he prevented aterrorist attack and savedlives. Police were able todisarm a car bomb beforeit caused any casualties.Niasse was working as astreet vendor, not an un-usual job for a new im-migrant in our country. “IfI see a terrorist,” he saidthen, “I am going to catchhim before he runs away.”

Six years later, on Sept.16, 2016, a homemadebomb was detonated inNew York’s Chelsea dis-trict, and was soon linkedto other devices found inManhattan and New Jer-sey. Afghan immigrantMohammad Rahami, thefather of the suspect, saidhe had called authorities toreport his son’s erraticbehavior. “Two years ago, Icalled the FBI,” Rahamisaid. “My son he’s doingreally bad, OK?”

During the second presi-dential debate, DonaldTrump called on Muslimswho come into the UnitedStates to “report when theysee something going on.”As Niasse and Rahamiillustrate, and as the FBIhas attested, Muslim im-migrants have alreadystepped up as allies to lawenforcement. Newcomers

to this country from theMiddle East and SouthAsia, many of whom fledviolence and tyranny whenthey came here, are espe-cially aware of the threatposed to America and toIslam by terrorism.

Yet paradoxically, evenas immigrants and refu-gees are invaluable in thefight against terrorism,they are subject to anti-Muslim bias and stereo-types that see all Muslimsas potential terrorists. Thatimage is projected on refu-gee and immigrant com-munities by violent extre-mists in the Middle Eastand xenophobes in theUnited States, and it isbased on a false narrative— that Islam and the Westare at war, and always willbe.

Muslim immigrants andrefugees — as well as na-tive-born Muslims —shouldn’t be viewed as asecurity risk. The Quran,like biblical scriptures, tellsus to protect life, not todestroy it. Like every goodAmerican and person offaith, when we see criminalactivity, we report it to theauthorities. Everyone ap-preciates the effectivenessof neighborhood watchprograms; they aren’tabout spying on each otherbut about collective protec-tion.

What threatens Americaisn’t the arrival of moreMuslim immigrants orrefugees from Syria butrather the alienation ofimmigrant communities.Marginalization and stig-matization of particularpopulations endangers usall, not only because welose invaluable allies in thefight against homegrownterrorism, but also because

these very factors createdisaffection and exacer-bate anti-social behavior.

Stigmatizing Muslimimmigrants and refugees —and those of other religionsand national origins —fractures society and givesour enemies an edge. Itthreatens the stability andthe resilience of the UnitedStates. Resisting margin-alization makes us moreunited against terroristthreats; it enriches societyand makes us safer.

Earlier this month, theChicago Council on GlobalAffairs and the BipartisanPolicy Center released areport examining immigra-tion, national security andpublic safety. The “bestinoculation” against imme-diate and future securitythreats comes from “coop-eration and building trustwith immigrant and othercommunities,” it conclud-ed. Rather than seekingsecurity by blocking im-migrants with border wallsand restrictive policies, thereport suggested that ratio-nalizing the immigrationsystem with comprehen-sive reform will makeAmerica’s immigrant cul-ture into a strong national-security asset.

The election season hasconflated terrorism, im-migration and refugeeresettlement in ugly ways.But it has also sparked aproductive dialogue aboutthe need for reformingimmigration policies andcreating stronger systemsto welcome and resettlenewcomers as neighbors,colleagues and contrib-utors to our communities,and as partners with — notsuspects of — law enforce-ment.

The Islamic Statespreads the lie that Mus-lims do not belong in theWest, especially in Amer-ica. And yet Muslim citi-zens, refugees and im-migrants know that theUnited States can be forthem what it has been forso many others: the lastbest hope. The narrativethat we as a country choosewill not only demonstratethis nation’s values, it willdetermine the trajectory ofour national security andour struggle against terror-ism.

Salam Al-Marayati ispresident of the MuslimPublic Affairs Council.

©2016 Los AngelesTimes

AP

Muslims are allies and doreport terrorist threats

BY SALAM AL-MARAYATILos Angeles Times

Page: Opinion_2 Pub. date: Tuesday, October 18 Last user: mworth@miamiherald.com Edition: 1st Section, zone: Opinion, State Last change at: 20:23:23 October 17

TUESDAY OCTOBER 18 2016 17AOpinionMIAMIHERALD.COM

H1

A s the University ofMiami preparedfor HurricaneMatthew a few

weeks ago, I was remindedof how indelibly our in-stitution and city havebeen shaped by forces ofnature. While Matthew didnot make a direct hit onSouth Florida, we all knowour neighbors in the South-east and the Caribbeanwere less fortunate. I wantto thank everyone in ourcommunity who is reach-ing out to the hardest hitareas of the United Statesand Haiti, and I am proudto see UM students, alum-ni, and medical profession-als join relief efforts.

It is hard to imagine thatMiami, a world-class city

that sits at the heart of theAmericas, faced an un-certain future on Sept. 18,1926, when the Great Mia-mi Hurricane devastatedthis young frontier city bestknown as a seasonal re-treat on the fringes of theEverglades.

It was the “perfectstorm”: extensive destruc-tion of property; significantloss of life and thousandsinjured; a devastating blowto a local economy thatwas already reeling fromcollapsing real estate val-ues and growing loan de-faults. Recovery was farfrom certain.

But Miami came back. Itwas a community of greattenacity. Ninety years agotoday, a mere 30 days afterthe storm, the University ofMiami welcomed its firstclass of 646 full-time stu-dents. Miami’s leadersknew that establishing auniversity as an anchor forintellectual, professional,and cultural advancementwas essential to a thrivingmetropolis. For our uni-versity founders, it was an

assertion of their optimism,their commitment to beinga Pan American center forknowledge, and recog-nition of the urgent need tobegin.

Success was far fromassured. Months earlier,thousands had celebratedthe groundbreaking for anadministration buildingnamed in honor of CoralGables founder George E.Merrick’s father, Solomon.Little did the excitedcrowds know that it wouldbe another 23 years beforethe building was complet-ed. Yet the close quartersof the Cardboard College,as the “temporary” campuswas affectionately called,nurtured the spirit of unityand innovation that remainhallmarks of the Universityof Miami. As the depriva-tions of the global GreatDepression took their toll,our young university metchallenge with determina-tion.

Nine decades later, UMand Miami can be proud ofa shared legacy of accom-plishment. UM ranks

among the top nationalresearch universities. Weattract and retain peoplewho stand out in the class-room, in the research lab,at the hospital bedside andon the playing field. Ourfaculty are briefing thePentagon on how ISIScommunicates, helpingGoogle learn about lead-ership, using the arts toexpress the human condi-tion and relentlessly ad-dressing the threat of Zika.And over the past 90 yearswe have become interna-tionally known for work tonot only predict the type ofextreme weather eventsthat threatened the found-ing of our institution, butto equip society to adaptand thrive despite changesto our climate.

Our mascot is the Amer-ican white ibis, which is

said to be the last wildlifeto take shelter before astorm and the first to re-turn after it passes. Theibis is an enduring symbolof our institution’s resil-ience and our deep connec-tion to the dynamic, beau-tiful ecosystem of SouthFlorida. You can see ourcapacity for resilience andrenewal in our students aslearners, as researchers, asathletes, as volunteers andas they move into theworld in leadership rolesthroughout Florida and theworld.

Today it is impossible toseparate this vibrant cityfrom the U. The creativeand entrepreneurial spiritof the region feeds ourcampuses and helps drawinternational talent to live,work, and learn here. Inthe past year, UM has em-

barked on the Roadmap toOur New Century, whichwill guide us as we aspireto new horizons by 2025.

This work is the collec-tive effort of this commu-nity: our students, faculty,staff, patients, alumni,benefactors and all thosewhose lives we touch. TheUniversity of Miami wouldnot have opened its doors90 years ago without thefortitude and resilience ofour home town. FromCardboard College to’Canes Country, togetherwe have weathered literal,economic and culturalwinds of change.

Together we will not justface the future, we willcreate it.

Julio Frenk is the sixthpresident of the Universityof Miami.

The University of Miamiis now 90 years strong

BY JULIO FRENKwelcome.miami.edu

University of Miami

The AnastasiaBuilding wasthe first ofmany so-calledtemporarybuildings onthe Universityof Miamicampus afterthe powerfulhurricane of1926 hit Miami.

I guess it was only amatter of time beforewe got to this: DonaldTrump has accused

Hillary Clinton of leadinga global conspiracy ofinternational financierswho are out to destroyU.S. sovereignty. Doessomething about thatlanguage sound familiar?

“Whether intentionallyor not, Donald Trump isevoking classic anti-Semi-tic themes,” said JonathanGreenblatt, chief exec-utive of the Anti-Defama-tion League. This is a newlow in a campaign thatlacks any depth controls.

But Trump’s languagecan hardly be accidental.After all, his campaignCEO is Steve Bannon, theformer head of BreitbartNews, a web haven forwhite nationalists whohate blacks and “jooz.”

When such conspiracytheories elicit cheers fromcrowds of faithful follow-ers, it means our democ-racy is in deep trouble,even if a majority votesTrump down.

I’ll get to the broaderthreat to democracy in amoment. But first let’slook at the conspiracytheory that Trump is pro-moting to divert attention

from his sex scandal.Referencing “WikiLeaks

documents,” the Donalddeclared that “HillaryClinton meets in secretwith international banksto plot the destruction ofU.S. sovereignty in orderto enrich these globalfinancial powers, herspecial-interest friendsand her donors.” In histypical wink-wink fashion,the Donald avoided usingthe word Jews, but hisinference was clear.

“Mr. Trump focused onthe very issues andthemes that obsess con-spiratorial anti-Semites,”Greenblatt said in hisstatement. “They believethere is an elite group ofJews who control themedia, the governmentand banking, and who aretrying to destroy whiteAmerica. They also be-lieve that most of HillaryClinton’s donors are Jew-ish.”

Of course, not allTrump supporters buyinto this trope. But, eggedon by Bannon, Trump islegitimizing an “alt-right”core who have crawledout from under the rocksand have now entered themainstream. These arethe kind of people whowrite me email using theepithet “you jooz”; theyhave deluged severalwell-known Jewish jour-nalists from nationalmedia with a blitz of anti-Semitic hate mail.

They are the kind offolks who left a sign bear-ing a swastika on a tablereserved for press whowere covering Trump’srecent conspiracy speech.

Of course, conspiracytheories are not new toAmerica, nor to Trump.He built his campaign ona stream of racist andxenophobic conspiracytheories and outrageousclaims, an outflow soendless that much of thecountry (mistakenly) be-gan to shrug them off. Forexample: the racist birtherlie that President Obamawas not born in the UnitedStates, which Trump ped-dled for five years, andthe claim that Ted Cruz’sfather was involved inJFK’s assassination. Thisfrom a man who seeks toenter the White House.

Now Trump haspumped his conspiracytheories up to an evenmore dangerous level. We

have a presidential candi-date who tells his follow-ers that a global cabal, ledby Clinton, is out to de-stroy America. He warnsthat Hillary (helped by,wink-wink, minorities) isabout to steal the electionfrom them.

Of course, Trump ishelped in promoting histheories by social media.He damns the “main-stream media” as corruptbut, as the conservativecolumnist Max Bootpoints out, heaps praise onalternative media so ex-treme and conspiratorialthey make Fox News lookliberal. Among themBreitbart, the DrudgeReport and Infowars, runby Alex Jones, a conspir-acy monger and radio hostwho claimed that 9/11 andSandy Hook were carriedout by the U.S. govern-ment.

Living in this alternatemedia universe, it’s nowonder that many Trumpadmirers are ready toaccept his conspiracytheories about how theworld works.

And no doubt this latestconspiracy theory aims tolay the groundwork forclaiming the election hasbeen stolen if he loses.Stolen by the Clintoncabal of minorities, bank-ers and you know who.

When conspiracy theo-ries go mainstream, de-mocracy is in big trouble.

I’ve spent a lot of timein countries where gov-ernments use state-con-trolled media to promoteconspiracy theories thatobscure their bad beha-vior and place the blameelsewhere. Lacking anyother information sources,much of the public be-lieves what they hear.

Throughout the Mid-east, media have longclaimed the CIA and Is-rael engineered 9/11. InRussia, media promotethe theory that Obamafounded the Islamic State.Turkey’s leader claimsAmerica was behind therecent coup attempt.

Now a large segment ofAmericans are fed outra-geous conspiracy theorieson the web, theories thatare amplified and promot-ed by the GOP presi-dential candidate. Mean-time, Trump overtlythreatens to go aftermedia critics should hewin, in ways that smack ofRussia or Pakistan orTurkey.

Trump’s latest warningsabout a global cabalshould convince any vot-ers still on the fence thatthis man is truly danger-ous. His threat takes aimat the underpinnings ofour democracy, not just atthe “jooz.”

©2016 Trudy Rubin

You knew it wascoming: Trumpstokes classicanti-Semitic themes

BY TRUDY RUBINThe Philadelphia Inquirer