Proposals to Ban Muslim Immigration: Philosophy in Action Podcast

On Sunday's episode of Philosophy in Action Radio, I answered a question on proposals to ban Muslim immigration. The question was:

Does the lack of respect for rights among some Muslim immigrants justify banning all Muslim immigrants? Sometimes, I hear people say that immigrants from Muslim countries are so illiberal (in the classical sense) that they ought to banned from entering the United States and Western Europe. The anti-immigrationists say that when people from Muslim countries are allowed to reside in the West, such immigrants remain committed to political Islam, honor-kill their own daughters, rape native-born women, and plot to impose sharia law on the West through "stealth jihad." Is the illiberalism of some (or even many) Muslim immigrants grounds for limiting immigration from Muslim countries? What is the proper response to this problem?

My Answer, In Brief: Muslims are a diverse group of people, just like every other immigrant group. They are not a unique or special threat to the rights of Americans. Terrorists and criminals should be excluded when possible – and prosecuted if they commit crimes in the United States.

Download or Listen to My Full Answer:

• Duration: 23:10
• Download: MP3 Segment

Tags: Conservatism, Crime, Discrimination, Ethics, Foreign Policy, Immigration, Islam, Justice, Law, Politics, Religion, Security, Terrorism

Links:

• Philosophy in Action: Proper Immigration Policy
• Islam in the United States
• Philosophy in Action: Positive Change in Islam
• Wikipedia: No True Scotman Fallacy
• The Objective Standard: Immigration and Individual Rights by Craig Biddle
• GOP Daily Dose: Muslim Booted From Hair School For Refusing To Remove Her Hijab

To comment on this question or my answer, visit its comment thread.

A podcast of the full episode – where I answered questions on overcoming an abusive childhood, proposals to ban Muslim immigration, correcting a cashier's mistake, and more – is available here: Episode of 8 June 2014.

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Philosophy in Action Radio applies rational principles to the challenges of real life in live internet radio shows on Sunday mornings and Thursday evenings. For information on upcoming shows, visit the Episodes on Tap. For podcasts of past shows, visit the Show Archives.