The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum on Thursday said it “looks with concern” on the debate over whether and how to take in refugees from Syria, and urged elected officials and citizens not to “turn our backs” on the thousands fleeing Syria.
“The museum calls on public figures and citizens to avoid condemning today’s refugees as a group,” it said. “It is important to remember that many are fleeing because they have been targeted by the Assad regime and ISIS for persecution and in some cases elimination on the basis of their identity.”
In the wake of last week’s terror attacks in Paris and citing national security concerns, over half of U.S. governors have said their states would turn away Syrian refugees. Roughly a dozen have said they welcome Syrian refugees. President Obama plans to resettle at least 10,000 Syrian refugees fleeing their war-torn country this fiscal year.
Here’s the museum’s statement:
Acutely aware of the consequences to Jews who were unable to flee Nazism, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum looks with concern upon the current refugee crisis. While recognizing that security concerns must be fully addressed, we should not turn our backs on the thousands of legitimate refugees.
The museum calls on public figures and citizens to avoid condemning today’s refugees as a group. It is important to remember that many are fleeing because they have been targeted by the Assad regime and ISIS for persecution and in some cases elimination on the basis of their identity.
A living memorial to the Holocaust, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum inspires citizens and leaders worldwide to confront hatred, prevent genocide and promote human dignity. Its far-reaching educational programs and global impact are made possible by generous donors.
During World War II, the U.S. government rejected thousands of Jews fleeing Nazi persecution, fearing they were spies.
“With politicians in the U.S. and Europe again calling for refugee bans in the name of national security, it’s easy to see parallels with the history of World War II,” Smithsonian Magazine’s Daniel A. Gross wrote this week.
The Orthodox Union Advocacy center also called on Americans to remember the past.
“We cannot and should not blame [refugees] for the actions of an evil terrorist organization,” the nation’s largest Orthodox Jewish lobbying group said in a statement. “The Jewish community has an important perspective on this debate. Just a few decades ago, refugees from the terror and violence in Hitler’s Europe sought refuge in the United States and were turned away due to suspicions about their nationality.”
