A Transmedia Conversation About the Muslim Travel Ban
What is BANNED ?
Banned is a project by media production seminar students at Al Akhawayn University. The project aims to raise awareness of the effects of the Trump Administration's so-called Muslim travel ban through a website, short film, Facebook page, and testimonials from AUI students.
On January 27, 2017, President Trump issued Executive Order 13769 (Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States), which suspended for 90 days the entry to the U.S. of persons from seven countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. The order identified these countries as presenting heightened concerns about terrorism and travel to the United States.
The order sparked massive protests at airports across the U.S. It was eventually blocked by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and deemed as unconstitutional.
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On the whitehouse.org website, Trump states: “While that assessment is ongoing, I am imposing a temporary pause on the entry of nationals from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, subject to categorical exceptions and case-by-case waivers.”
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On March 6, the administration issued a revised ban targeting six countries (minus Iraq) for 90 days. Iraq was lifted from the ban after lobbying from the Department of Defense, which warned that barring Iraqis from entry could undermine efforts to fight ISIS.
The new order also softens its stance toward legal residents, allowing green-card holders and those with valid visas to enter the country. Also, refugees whose entry into the United States had already been approved are no longer barred.
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A federal judge in Hawaii has issued a temporary restraining order against parts of the new ban. Trump has said the ban is needed to protect the country from Islamist militants, but immigration advocates and the courts say it discriminates against Muslims.
“A reasonable, objective observer — enlightened by the specific historical context, contemporaneous public statements, and specific sequence of events leading to its issuance — would conclude that the Executive Order was issued with a purpose to disfavor a particular religion,” U.S. District Judge Derrick K. Watson wrote in a 43-page opinion.
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While the travel ban remains held up in court and is not likely to go back into effect, the issue continues to divide American opinion and has damaged U.S. relations with Muslims around the world.
Background
