The hostile border between Pakistan and Afghanistan has been closed after the attack on a Sufi shrine in Pakistan. Although the Pakistani government has some doubt about a large ISIS present within their borders, many of their local militant groups have expressed support for ISIS. This comes just a few weeks after United States President Donald Trump issued his own sort of similar security ban, which essentially blocked out “terror hotbed” countries. While a nation’s security should be one their top priorities, an unfortunate byproduct of such actions is the racist sentiment that follows.
Border security is a hot and divisive topic across the world. Whether it be Pakistan and Afghanistan, or European countries shutting out refugees, countries are struggling with balancing national security and not coming off as discriminatory. In the case of Pakistan, there have been numerous attacks over the past five days, with the largest one culminating the week. Because of this, the border closing was a welcome and relieving move, as many Pakistani citizens were angered by the attacks and lack of government action. However, in the western part of the world, similar measures are protested against and highly unpopular in the region.
In this part of the world, terror attacks are practically becoming a part of daily life, and the citizens are scared and furious. In the United States, the terror anxiety is still existent after 9/11, almost sixteen years ago. In a place like Pakistan, where they’ve seen five attacks in the last week, I can only imagine the fresh, growing anger and fear. Other parts of the world view such actions as racist, but to the targeted countries, hurt feelings are the least considered when their life is on the line.