President-elect Donald Trump is known for his blunt approach. And on human rights, we are well past due for some hard truths.
From Taiwan to Cuba, Trump has made certain that the status quo must change – and this starts with a strong secretary of State.
The outgoing administration of Barack Obama has been marked by ambiguous rhetoric about the state of the world and groveling to oppressors and bullies. His legacy on counter-terrorism is deplorable.
Under Obama: global terrorist groups are up 58 percent, there is an ongoing genocide of Christians and Yazidis in Iraq, Iran is emboldened, the global refugee situation is a black mark on Western values and the Middle East is unraveling.
It’s high time for a change and Donald Trump has made clear his administration will have zero tolerance for the polite fictions that legitimize oppressors and undermine American interests.
Trump should make U.S. policy on human rights one of speaking hard truths and acting justly on behalf of the oppressed.
One hard truth Trump has embraced is the global threat of Islamic terrorism.
Those who killed Americans in Boston, San Bernardino, and Orlando and are spreading terror throughout the Middle East and Europe are what they are: radical Islamic terrorists who kill in the name of religion. Period.
The religious dimension of these global crises cannot be ignored, glossed over, or downplayed.
Obama tried that and it only made them worse.
Middle Eastern governments have known for years that their populations are being radicalized and they don’t know how to stop it. They have a radicalization problem that Muslims and minorities alike are suffering from.
These governments have tried to monitor mosques, control sermons, and restrict speech – all in the hope that they could deter young people from joining terrorist organizations.
Instead of protecting their countries from terrorism and the chaos that it brings, they have exacerbated the problem.
Less freedom isn’t the solution to oppression; only broader individual human rights and religious freedom will cure the cancer of terrorism in the name of religion.
Countries that restrict religious freedom stifle their economic opportunities and are highly susceptible to political and social instability.
To address these global threats, Trump’s new secretary will have to convince governments in the Middle East to address other endemic problems that contribute to the ongoing radicalization of their populations.
Laws and policies that discriminate and marginalize demand amending. And the new secretary must confront the beliefs individuals that lead people to be radicalized.
Education must support critical thinking and eliminate intolerant views that promote violence against minority communities and dissenters. Leaders must recognize the equal dignity and rights of others – and be willing to defend them – in order to create communities that are resilient to extremism and violence.
Today’s Iraq is a case in point. If America had prioritized these solutions in Iraq under the past two administrations, the situation there today would look very different.
Instead of prioritizing institutional and educational changes that ensure local buy in and thus long-term sustainable protection of religious freedom in Iraq, the U.S. government spent trillions propping up a regime that continues to foment intolerance and sectarian divisions. And the U.S. continues to send billions of dollars in military aid without any conditions – or a plan for victory.
As ISIS was forcing Christians to “convert or die”, Iraq’s Parliament was passing a national identity card law that would force children to convert to Islam and prevent individuals from changing their religious identity on the card. President Obama and his officials balked at the idea of recognizing the situation there as genocide or addressing the root cause of the problem – religious intolerance.
By ignoring religious freedom, Iraq will continue to perpetuate the same intolerance ISIS stands for and descend into further chaos, with or without ISIS.
The key to real stability in Iraq and other countries facing the global threat of terrorism is to stand up for universal rights – this makes us, and the world, more secure and achieves greater prosperity for everyone.
Maintaining the status quo by coddling oppressive regimes cannot continue. Part of “Making America Great Again” means making America true to its values again. It requires that we confront difficult issues head on, with “truth, liberty and justice for all.”
America’s values, rhetoric, policy and actions must align. President-elect Donald Trump’s State Department, leading with resolute truths and decisive actions can inaugurate a period of lasting freedom, security and prosperity across the globe yet to be experienced in the world. The lives of millions depend on him being a man of his (blunt) words.
Tina Ramirez is the president of Hardwired Global, a former congressional aid, and a contributing author and editor of Human Rights in the United States: A Dictionary and Documents (2010) who has testified before the United Nations, African Union, and the U.S. Congress.
