Muslim Olympian Has Strong Words About Donald Trump
U.S. fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad [was] recognized not only as the first athlete to compete in the Olympics while wearing a hijab, but also for her remarks about Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
Muhammad was interviewed by CNN and was asked if she felt Trump was dangerous. “I think that his words are very dangerous,” she responded.
“When these types of comments are made, no one thinks about how they really affect people,” she said.
In December, Trump called for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on.” He has since dropped the religious reference, saying now that the United States should “suspend temporarily immigration from regions that have been a major source for terrorists and their supporters coming to the U.S.”
Muhammad, who was born and raised in New Jersey, said the United States is her home and she has no other home to go to.
Continuing, Muhammad said, “I’m hopeful, that in my efforts, you know, to represent our country well as an athlete, that they change the rhetoric around, you know, how people think and perceive the Muslim community.”
After the interview was posted on Facebook, a lot of people criticized CNN, saying it was just more biased reporting against Trump.
One Facebook user wrote: “I liked this story until it became an attack against Trump. Now I can care less if she wins a medal or not and CNN is getting worse for news by the hour.”
Another posted: “CNN – you are the most biased station in the world. You cause trouble where there is none.”
Muhammad has taken the opportunity prior to the CNN interview to express her thoughts on Trump.
In December, she issued the following tweet:
Friends don't let friends like Trump
— Ibtihaj Muhammad (@IbtihajMuhammad) December 11, 2015
When, in February, Muhammad was asked to comment on Trump’s policies on Muslims, she said, “I think that unfortunately we have people who are in the presidential race who are providing a platform for hate speech and fearmongering and they’re creating a space where it’s acceptable to speak out against immigrants, to speak out against Muslims …”
She added that she felt the atmosphere was scary and she was concerned about the safety of minorities.
Muhammad revealed that while growing up, she and her siblings were involved in sports; however they were required to wear long pants and long sleeves while participating.
She said she was drawn to fencing because it allowed her to wear the same uniform that her friends wore.
On Monday, Muhammad was eliminated in her second bout in the women’s sabre tournament, falling to Cecilia Berder of France. (For more from the author of “Muslim Olympian Has Strong Words About Donald Trump” please click HERE)
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