Trump fuels spread of religious intolerance
As a Fresno State student and aspiring sociologist, I am disgusted at the actions allegedly committed by two men against a 68-year-old Sikh man. The police and FBI said that the attack was because he was wearing traditional Sikh clothing.
This is a hate crime, and it is abhorrent. I believe it has to do with with the anti-Muslim sentiment Americans have picked up after 9/11. This attack happened in Fresno, but it is a peek into what is a countrywide problem.
Verbal and physical attacks are said not to be tolerated in a country like ours, but Islamophobia is real and hatred also has spread against people who are thought to be Muslim, regardless of religious background.
This thinking is perpetuated by people like Donald Trump. His statement that he would require Muslim-Americans to register with a government database or make them carry special identification is the epitome of religious intolerance.
Even more disappointing is the amount of support this man is getting. This just goes to show racial and religious hatred is a bigger problem in the U.S. than we’d like to admit.
Katherine Arevalo, Fresno
This story was originally published April 1, 2016 at 6:22 AM with the headline "Trump fuels spread of religious intolerance."