Fear of Islam in America, Keeping Peace, Sanctuary Cities

Addressing Fear of Islam in America Guest: Safi Kaskas, Co-Founder of East West University, Senior Researcher in Islam and Multi-faith Reconciliation at the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University, Co-Author of “Qur’an—with References to the Bible: A Contemporary Understanding” President Trump and many in his administration tell us that Islam poses a grave threat to America.  As a candidate for President, Trump called for a ban on Muslims entering the US and floated the idea of a national registry for Muslims already here. His executive order, which the courts have temporarily blocked, aims to ban travel from seven Middle Eastern countries that have a Muslim majority, because Trump says we need extreme vetting to keep out “radical Islamic terrorists.”   Keeping the Peace in a World of Religious Tensions Guest: Laura Vinson, PhD, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Oklahoma State University Imagine how things might be different if President Trump were required to choose a Muslim as his vice presidential running mate. Do you suppose he would have talked so angrily about banning Muslims from the country? Might it have changed how he approached the executive order to limit travelers and refugees from Muslim countries?  Such religious requirements to run for office aren’t legal in the US, but they are a matter of course in some countries as a way of keeping the peace between conflicting groups. Apple Seed Guest: Sam Payne, Host of BYUradio's "The Apple Seed" Sam Payne joins us in the studio to share tales of tellers and stories. Sanctuary Cities Guest: Kari Hong, JD, Professor of Law, Boston College During the last week, federal immigration raids led to the arrest of more than 600 people in at least 11 states. President Trump said on Twitter: “The crackdown on illegal criminals is merely the keeping of my campaign promise. Gang members, drug dealers & others are being removed!” Protests against the raids cropped up across the country, particularly in places that call themselves “sanctuary cities.” President Trump wants to withhold federal funding from those cities and signed an executive order to that effect, which San Francisco is now challenging in court. Just what is a sanctuary city and how much power do local officials really have to push back against federal immigration authorities?  Teaching from Antarctica  Guest: Josh Heward, Zoology and AP Biology Teacher, Timpanogos High School, Orem, UT; Byron Adams, PhD, Professor of Biology, BYU. Our next guests are back from a month spent in one of the world’s most inhospitable places – Antarctica – where they were studying how life manages to survive there. Read Josh Heward's journals from his PolarTREC expedition to Antarctica here.