Another bigot. Another awful atrocity. Another pointless waste of human life. Uzbek-born Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov a 29-year-old father of three mowed down bicyclists on a dedicated cycle lane not far from Ground Zero, the site of New York’s 9/11 atrocity.
By comparison, Saipov’s abhorrent crime was small - eight people died and eleven were injured when he drove a hired truck at high speed into the cyclists on Tuesday. But the effect of this latest slaughter, which Saipov claimed in a note was carried out in the name of Daesh (the self-proclaimed IS), is likely to be even greater.
America’s relations with its Muslim citizens were put on edge in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. A subsequent series of killings and failed attacks, generally carried out by individuals inspired by online Daesh propaganda, provoked suspicion and sometimes violent displays of bigoted Islamophobia. On his way to the White House, Donald Trump used anti-Muslim rhetoric that shocked and disappointed Washington’s allies in the Islamic world.
Tuesday’s murders on the West Street-Houston Street cycle path in Lower Manhattan constitute the first terrorist crime on US soil during the Trump presidency. As usual, the president immediately took to Twitter to express his views. Among his comments he wrote: “We must not allow ISIS to return, or enter, our country after defeating them in the Middle East and elsewhere. Enough!”
As a reflection of the anger of all US citizens, including its Muslims, this was probably a reasonable enough comment. But it nevertheless smacked more of the campaign-trail Trump, rather than of a political leader who must now deal thoughtfully and carefully with this latest act of terror. Trump will of course argue that this outrage justifies his clampdown on travelers from some Muslim states such as Libya and Somalia. And it also seems likely that he will once again round on the Diversity Visa Lottery which, thanks to Congress’ 1990 Immigration Law, gives out 50,000 visas every year. Trump has always opposed this legislation under which Saipov entered the United States seven years ago and was given a Green Card and US residence.
It is hard to argue against Americans who feel aggrieved that someone to whom their country gave shelter, a home and a job should repay that generosity with such a heinous act. The Muslim world has a strong tradition of hospitality. Therefore, the revulsion at Saipov’s behavior is all the greater, not least among ordinary, decent American Muslims who will now fear a further Islamophobic backlash.
It is at this terrible juncture that Trump should display the statesmanship that his detractors claim he lacks. All Americans will want him to keep their country safe from further terrorist outrages. But at the same time, they will not be comfortable with any extreme measures that go against the friendly, open and welcoming nature that characterizes their country. There is, for instance, widespread shame at the World War Two treatment of Americans of ethnic Japanese background, who in the panic after the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack were herded into concentration camps where they were kept in often appalling condition for the duration of the hostilities.
There is overwhelming disgust around the world at Saipov’s terrible crime. But at this moment, America does not need demagogic thundering. It needs cool and clear-headed leadership.
