Ignoring Discrimination on Moslems

On the policy of rejecting the people from some Islamic countries by President of United States, Donald Trump, the Japanese government has not expressed any objection or concern. Following Trump’s intolerant policy, Japanese airlines began to reject boarding of citizens from listed seven countries on the airplanes going to U.S. Japan looks like supporting U.S. discrimination on the Moslems.

In the discussion of Budget Committee in House of Councillors, the opposite lawmakers asked Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about how he would deal with the issue. “I am concerned with the measure that causes restriction of freedom, retaliation or separation. How do you think?” asked President of Democratic Party, Renho. Chairman of Japan Communist Party, Kazuo Shii, required Abe to say what should be said for international morality.

For Abe, it was something he would not care. “I think it was an idea of U.S. government expressed through an executive order. I am not on the standpoint to comment on it,” said Abe in the committee. He reiterated a general principle that the problem of refugees needed to be dealt with in international society. Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, commented that immigration would be internal policy in a country.

Impact on Japanese economy has already been seen. All Nippon Airways and Japan Air Line decided to reject passengers from listed countries to transport to U.S. Japanese trading companies are worried about the impact on their workers from the listed countries in business trip. “It is too sad for me knowing what is happening in U.S. Can it be tolerated to exclude specific religion, specific country in a uniform way? I don’t think so,” said President of Rakuten, Hiroshi Mikitani. Rakuten would offer the citizens of the listed countries free overseas call to U.S.

The response of Japanese government was based on a notion that the Japanese would not be excluded forever from the list of unwelcomed citizens. How can it be, anyway? If exclusion of Islamic citizens is tolerated for protecting U.S. from terrorism, Japanese businesspeople will also be rejected in the name of protecting U.S. economic interest. Trump is going to do everything to make America great again or be first.

Newspapers criticized the policy of Trump administration. Mainichi Shimbun labeled it as an outrage disgracing U.S. conscience. “The executive order reminds of psychological national seclusion against Islamic sphere,” told the editorial of Mainichi, requiring abolition of the order. So, where is the conscience of the Japanese?