Terrorism expert on dangers of religious tests for Syrian refugees

Pakistani born Arshad Yousufi has called Colorado home for more than 30 years. He opposes any religious test for Syrian refugees coming to the United States.

“What concerns me is that someone can rise to the level of presidiential candidate and still not have the common sense to distinguish between the good and the bad or the good and the bad and the ugly,” Yousufi said. “The majority of refugees pose no risk and would wonderful citizens of America.”

After the Paris attacks, government leaders on many level want to take every precaution.

“We shouldn’t be bringing in tens of thousands of Syrian refugees,” Sen. Ted Cruz said. “We should be resettling them humanly in middle eastern countries that are primarily Muslim. But, the first obligation as the president, needs to be as the commander-in-chief to protect the American people.”

Obama sharply rebuked Cruz’s rhetoric Monday at the G-20 summit in Turkey.

“We do not close our hearts to victims of such violence and somehow start equating refugees with the issue of terrorism,” Obama said.

UCCS professor and terrorism expert Edin Mujkic echoes those words.

It is shameful, it is un-American, regardless of if you agree with President Obama on how to handle ISIS,” Mujkic said.

Mujkic argues a practice of religious testing for refugees is a strategy that plays right into the hands of ISIS and only endangers us at home.

“When you say that you’re going to impose religious testing on refugees, I would be really surprised if they don’t use this as part of their recruitment materials,” Mujkic said.