Jodi Yarini, pastor of Decatur United Church of Christ, makes a statement to the media before the a group of Atlanta faith leaders delivered a letter to Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal’s office on Thursday as part of a national campaign targeting more than 20 governors who have said they want to close their borders to Syrians in the wake of the deadly attacks in Paris. In the letter they condemned proposals to discriminate against refugees on the basis of religion and supported the call to take in refugees. (Bob Andres/Atlanta Journal Constitution via AP)More Info
“It is important that we remain vigilant and protect the American people here at home as well. While this violence reminds us of why millions of people are fleeing regions terrorized by Islamic extremists, there can be no shortcuts when it comes to guaranteeing the safety of the American people. Any proposed change in U.S. policy by this administration must involve a careful assessment of all the implications and ensure that there is no added security risk. The fight against ISIS is not just America’s fight and France’s fight; it is the world’s fight. We must provide the beacon of leadership that has defined our great nation and work with our allies to develop a broader strategy to counter all the destabilizing forces in the Middle East.”— Sen. Bob Corker“The federal government should respect the wishes of states in placing these refugees. But the real focus should be for the United States to work with Europe and our other allies to defeat ISIS and stabilize Syria so millions of Syrians won’t have to leave their homes.”— Sen. Lamar Alexander“We are currently working to get specifics from the U.S. Department of State on the status of any Syrian refugees currently slated to come to Tennessee. While screening, acceptance and placement is legally under the authority of the federal government, they have said in the past they would be open to cooperating with receiving states. I’m asking the federal government to suspend placements in Tennessee until states can become more of a partner in the vetting process.”— Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam“Until the federal government and Congress conduct a thorough review of current screening procedures and background checks, we will take every measure available to us at the state level to safeguard the safety of Georgians.”— Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal
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Security Vetting Steps for Syrian and Iraqi Refugees* Vetting can take up to 2 years for Iraqis. For Syrians, vetting can take about three years.* United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees does the first round of security checks on the refugee while he or she is in a camp, according to international treaties the United States has signed.* The high commissioner refers those who pass the checks and say they want to live in America to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program* Refugees who pass USRAP background and proof of identity checks are then interviewed by a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officer overseas. The refugee must prove he deserves special humanitarian concern by documenting persecution or fear of persecution due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. He is questioned about his life in Syria or Iraq, his work, his friends.* The National Counterterrorism Center, the Terrorist Screening Center, the Department of Defense, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department each separately intrview the refugee. They use biometrics to confirm identity. They use biographical information harvested through interviews to contact and debrief third-party acquaintances who know the refugee or could possibly know him to assess any hint of criminal behavior or “material support to terrorists.” The latter test is so stringent, a Syrian refugee who owned a small food stand in his neighborhood was banned from America because. when his block was under militia control, some of the fighters may have bought falafel sandwiches.* Syrian refugees undergo an additional fraud detection investigation by a Department of Homeland Security task force.* Medical evaluations are conducted for contagious diseases.Source: The Cato Institute, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
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To help› The Seventh-Day Adventists’ Samaritan Center at 9231 Old Lee Highway in Ooltewah accepts furniture, household goods and other items that can be used to help a refugee family set up a home. Call 423-238-7777 for details.› Bridge Refugee at 4791 Hal Drive in Chattanooga accepts donations and particularly needs personal hygeine items such as toothpaste and soap as well as detergent, bedding, furniture and blankets. Email info@bridgerefugees.org to make arrangements.
On her son’s seventh birthday, kindergarten teacher Mona Al Khodor took the little boy to the bakery so he could watch the decorator frost his cake with Spider-man, Superman and other cartoon heroes made from colored icing.
As she and her son watched in the Baghdad bakery, the air suddenly was filled with noise and glittering shards of glass as the bakery’s big windows disintegrated. Customers crumpled to the floor, dead.