The main event this week regarding Donald Trump was his failed impeachment trial in the U.S. Congress, accompanied by his speech there, in which he refused to shake the hand of the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, and tore up her printed speech. However, there was another event, less noticed outside of America, but of great interest to those interested in religious and political issues. In other words, including readers of our website. That event was Donald Trump’s speech at the National Prayer Breakfast shortly after his impeachment. In his half-hour speech, Trump positioned himself as a defender of religion in America and the world, religion in general, but especially Christianity. It is this duality of the event and Trump’s message that we want to consider.
The National Prayer Breakfast, officially held annually, is a gathering of representatives from almost every possible religious community, both within America and international guests. It includes Buddhists, Catholics, Jewish leaders in abundance, a few years ago the famous contemporary Islamic scholar Abdullah bin Bayyah was invited, as well as the Patriarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and many others. But first and foremost, it is a reflection of the power of various Protestant denominations to put their agenda at the center of this event.
What did Trump say to all of them? He said that religion in America and in the world, and in particular certain religions, are under attack, that he has taken them under his protection, and now they are flourishing in the country he leads, and as long as he is its leader, he will not allow that to change.
Much was said about how Americans have historically drawn and continue to draw strength from religion and prayer, that God hears and answers those prayers, and that America is blessed by Him.
In several parts of his speech, Trump made it clear which religion he primarily meant, emphasizing the defense of crosses, churches, pastors, and those who preach the gospel, etc. However, it must be recognized that the restraint of this speech was remarkable — none of these fragments looked like an explicit confrontation with Christians compared to followers of other religions.
On the contrary, Trump emphasized several times that all religions and religious symbols are protected in America, which is the most inclusive (for everyone) thriving country in the world, and people of all backgrounds are currently participating in its construction.
Two points that Trump highlighted apply to all religions. He won the right for students to pray in all public educational institutions, where special prayer rooms should be provided (for everyone). He also advocates the right to life, i.e. against abortion.
In this context, the question arises — how do Muslims feel about all this? With Trump’s election, many Muslims had the darkest expectations. And Trump, of course, is not the ideal president for Muslims, neither in America nor beyond its borders. However, if we look not at words but at actions, we will see that much of what was intended to harm Muslims did not actually happen, and what did happen would probably have been done by other presidents, just with more friendly rhetoric towards Muslims, and some of his initiatives Muslims were able to benefit from.
For example, Trump became the most pro-Zionist president of the United States in a long time, completely ignoring the interests and demands of the Palestinians, which are recognized by the international community and previous US administrations. In words… But in reality, has much changed for the Palestinians, who are currently under occupation and pressure, compared to Obama’s friendly rhetoric?
Trump openly supports the dictator of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and states that he does not intend to overthrow the tyrant Bashar al-Assad. But what has really changed if Obama was generally doing the same thing, just pretending to condemn these villains but in practice not taking any steps to overthrow them? At least Trump has stopped providing resources to Iran as Obama did, imposed sanctions against them, and on a few occasions demonstratively shook hands with them, such as with the elimination of Qasem Soleimani.
Moreover, Trump’s immigration policy has really hurt many Muslims, not so much those who couldn’t enter America because, strictly speaking, it’s their business who to accept and who not to accept, but the American citizens themselves and their relatives who were separated by his draconian measures banning immigrants from a number of countries from entering the United States, even if their loved ones are American citizens and residents. It is true that his victory was accompanied by a rise in Islamophobia, as we have written about. However, we should not overlook another aspect — for Muslims living in America, the greater threat than blatant Islamophobia, which the government and society are fighting against, is militant atheism and so-called «progressivism,» which imposes anti-religious values in the sphere of morality, family, sexual relations, and human nature. And it must be said that it is Trump, while defending primarily religious Christians and Jews, who has sided with all «religious believers,» as he called them in his speech, on many issues that concern them all, whether it is the right to pray in public places or to adhere to the traditional values of their religions.
Another important accent that needs to be understood concerns persecuted Christians and other religious minorities around the world, including Christian missionaries in Muslim countries, as well as Muslims in China (Uighurs) and Myanmar (Rohingyas), in whose defense the U.S., under Trump’s leadership, is most active today.
It is clear that, ideally, Muslims would like their own global superpower to have their backs. But the reality is that the most disadvantaged Muslim communities, such as the Uyghurs and Rohingyas, are more likely to expect support from a friend of the Zionists like Trump than from an absent or self-proclaimed caliph.
But while the rhetoric of protecting «persecuted Christians and other religious minorities» is not the worst option for Muslims compared to blatant atheism or disregard for the rights of believers, it should not be overly embraced. After all, Trump has done much to worsen the situation for at least one such minority — Muslims in America and the West in general — by aligning himself with those who do not want to see «religious believers» — followers of Islam — their «religious symbols» or their «places of worship» in these countries.
Video and text of Trump’s speech: [links provided]