Why Trump deserves every bit of our hate

I hate the name calling and labelling in politics. It's bad enough when the candidates do it. It's even worse when the journalists jump on the bandwagon and add to the noise.

And as much as I want to be above all that, I can't stop myself from going on the record to say that Donald Trump is a racist, a bigot and he has made an absolute a** of himself for making the outrageous, politically incorrect and completely inappropriate proposal to "Ban Muslims from the USA".

I know I am coming late to the party because this proposal has received more than its fair attention as it should have because it's shocking, it's incendiary and it's divisive.

Trump has called for "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the US, until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on".

The current Republican presidential frontrunner, made this statement in the days following a mass shooting in San Bernardino, California which law enforcement says was an act of terrorism by a radicalised Muslim couple. And in the wake of the Paris attacks.

Trump whipped the media into frenzy as he usually does. His plan, he insisted was a temporary move and wouldn't betray the Constitution and would naturally be waived for Muslim heads of state.

His statement ignited a firestorm among his rival Republicans and Democrats. House speaker Paul Ryan, who has until now, stayed out of the presidential election said Trump's proposal "is not what this party stands for, and more importantly, it's not what this country stands for". Rival Jeb Bush said Trump is "unhinged".

White House spokesperson Josh Earnest said that Trump's statement "disqualifies" him from serving as president because every president must take an oath "to preserve, protect and defend" the Constitution.

Since the White House never comments on candidates this openly, it is seen as highly unusual move.

But if there is anything I have learnt from observing Trump in these past months, it's this: There is nobody in America who has this unique skill of uniting everyone in all parties in a universal chorus of condemnation.

His remarks enraged social media and angered the world. In Britain, Prime Minister David Cameron said that Trump's position was unfortunate as it was "divisive, unhelpful and quite simply wrong". Prime Minister Manuel Valls of France tweeted "Mr Trump, like others, fuels hatred," and "Our only enemy is radical Islamism".

In the Arab world, Trump's remarks have angered many who called him an "Islamophobe" and a "racist" and a "madman". But the Chinese were for some unfathomable reason, extremely impressed.

Trump has defended his position saying that the ban would be temporary. And he stands by his remarks. He is not offering any sort of apology.

For me, it's extremely difficult to stay silent in the face of such blatant demagoguery. His proposal is the worst kind of stereotyping.

Trump has a long history of making outrageous statements which do him much good. His followers increase and he keeps rising in the polls.

The people who support Trump according to the polls are white, less-educated, middle-aged and very scared by the American economy shifting to embrace diversity and globalisation. These people are angry, have grievances and have lost faith in "career politicians".

They are, by nature, deeply mistrustful of immigrants and as terrorism hits American soil, they are also becoming fearful. In a poll conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute, 77 per cent of Americans polled say that Islam is "at odds" with American values, way of life.

Trump taps into all that with his unusual celebrity status of being a billionaire and a reality star. Because of who he is, he has managed to get the support of yet another group of people: those who did not pay attention to politics previously but are now engaged.

And I have to say that Trump knows how to get headlines daily. Just look at his checkered history. He went on a rampage by initiating a "birther" movement challenging President Obama's standing as a natural-born American, used offensive language while referring to women, accused Mexico of sending rapists and criminals to the US.

He also insisted that 11 million illegal immigrants be deported, had public fights with Latino journalists, allowed a reporter entertain the idea that Obama is a Muslim, said that Muslim should register in a database and also spread around the wild allegation that thousands of them where celebrating in New Jersey after the 9/11 attacks.

He also mimicked the Asian accent, mocked a disabled reporter Serge Kovaleski, questioned senator John McCain's status as a war hero, ridiculed the physical appearance of his opponents, agreed that the shoving of a black demonstrator at one of his events was justified.

His frightening behaviour makes me remember the famous words of Martin Neimoller, the pastor and concentration camp survivor, "First they came for the socialists…" 

And despite all dire predictions that such harsh, divisive rhetoric would derail his campaign, it has in fact pushed him into first place and kept him in that coveted spot.

I can only shake my head in despair and confusion at Trump's rise. How is it that a country like America that twice put an African American man of Kenyan descent in the White House can even toy with the idea of elevating Trump into the same position?

I do not stand with Trump. I believe in an America that is compassionate and open to all with equal rights and opportunities for all.

Indeed, President Obama today, in a ceremony celebrating the abolishing of slavery at the capital today, has called for Americans to turn their backs on "bigotry in all forms" and to keep pushing for equality "no matter what ugliness might bubble up." The standing ovation Obama received fills me with hope for America.

I don't have to explain to anyone that the majority of Muslims believe in pluralism, freedom, democracy and individual rights like all of us do. They are doctors, teachers, scientists, innovators and they serve in the armed forces and law enforcement.

They sing the American anthem with the same fervour and passion as all immigrants do.

What I do fear is even if Trump doesn't win, his words will live on and the hatred and anger for Muslims advocated by him will live on. Because even though, Trump is the loudest voice, the idea that Islam is inherently dangerous and Muslims pose the greatest threat to our society is not a new one.

The groundwork for that "intellectual discourse" has been laid out already by 'analysts" "pundits" and "consultants."

Yes, we should be offended and we should unleash our contempt on Trump because he deserves it. But what about all the other people who have spewing the anti-Muslim venom for years from various quarters.

They have not been as blunt as Trump. They don't have his powerful platform. They have not spoken out so forcefully with such a definite proposal but they are following the same script.

If we condemn Trump, we must condemn them all.