Cape Muslim doctor: Travel ban unjust, unhelpful

President Donald Trump’s travel ban on immigrants, refugees and legal travelers from seven majority-Muslim countries is an injustice, a member of the Islamic Center in Cape Girardeau said Monday.

Ahmad Sheikh, a local endocrinologist, said he sees the executive order as causing confusion and distance, which he believes is unhelpful.

“Every country has the right to restrict immigration; that’s a given,” Sheikh said. “But people granted green card or valid visas, who have made plans for travel, U.S. citizens trying to get together with their families, bans like this will create distance between families. I don’t think that’s helpful.”

Sheikh said this does not include people who are in the United States illegally or people the government has reason to hold suspicions.

“If an individual is dangerous, by all means, block that individual. Give them interrogation, punishment, whatever needs to be done. That is justice.

“But just making a blanket statement that any person from a country or religion is dangerous — you’re talking about students, physicians, teachers, valuable parts of this community,” Sheikh said.

“This is not good for them, this country or our world image. Somebody says this action is making us safe; that has to be questioned.”

Sheikh was born in Washington, D.C., to parents who immigrated from Pakistan.

His children were born in the U.S., and all the members of his immediate family are citizens.

“But I still have extended family in Pakistan,” he said.

Sheikh was not in any airports over the weekend, but he said he knows people who saw immigrants being detained and interrogated at airports.

“There is discrimination going on,” he said. “We denounce it.”

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