Some people are concerned about President Obama's pledge for the U.S. to take in 10,000 Syrian refugees, most of whom are Muslim (since it is a predominantly Muslim country). These people are living in a country that has been involved in civil war since 2011. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, as many Americans were opposed to taking in Jewish refugees during World War II. This is really a drop in the bucket, when you consider that the U.S. already has 3.3 million Muslims (about 1 percent of the population) within its borders. As we don't hear much about them, apparently the majority are law-abiding citizens. According to Wikipedia, "Close to 1 million Syrians have requested asylum in various countries." European countries already have a far bigger proportion of Muslims than we do within their borders-Germany has 5.8 percent, France has 7.5 percent, the UK has 4.8 percent, Bulgaria has 13.7 percent, and Cyprus has 25.3 percent. Of course, not all are refugees of the conflict in Syria. Friends, let's remember that not all Muslims are alike, any more than all Christians are alike. Some are violent; most are not. Does the Charleston church shooter represent all white Americans? Let's do our part to help Syrian children grow up in a stable, peace-promoting environment.
Sincerely
Patricia W. Scott
Brainerd
