Donald Trump has evoked certain emotions in this election, and the people behind “Cards Against Humanity” did not want to be left behind, which prompted them to put up an interesting anti-Trump billboard in Michigan. The sign is in Arabic and reads “Donald Trump: He can’t read this, but he is afraid of it.”
There is no doubt that Donald Trump has been facilitating Islamophobia throughout the country. Trump’s rhetoric about Arabs and Muslim communities has been divisive. Trump has not been shy about his wish to see a ban on Muslims entering this country. Some say he also said that he would like to patrol certain neighborhoods known to have a large population of Muslims or Arabs. It does not seem like Trump or his supporters are slowing down with their attacks on certain communities, which is very scary. It is clear why certain groups are taking drastic action to make people politically aware.
The billboard was meant to be politically effective and to serve as a tool to highlight the serious issue this country is facing with Islamophobia. The billboard was put up in Dearborn, Michigan. Dearborn is still within Detroit city limits. There are many Arabic-speaking people in this city, and the sign is partly meant for them. It should be noted that this is probably one of the locations that Trump wants to patrol should he be elected president of this country.
The idea is to help the Arab-speaking section of Dearborn get active in this current political spectrum. The people behind the billboard wanted to do their part in getting the word out regarding how critical the people’s vote might be in this particular election. It is estimated that about one third of the entire population in Dearborn identifies themselves as Arab or of Arab heritage.
This billboard and effective sign of protest is making its rounds on social media. It is no secret that Donald Trump pays attention to social media, which means that it is likely that this piece of comedy might reach his Twitter feed. Trump is usually unhinged on social media, which means that it is possible that he will react in the way many expect him to. Of course, only time will really tell if the message gets to him.
Many Trump-supporters do not seem deterred by the sign, which is to be expected. Some supporters believe that middle-eastern religions teach the people from those regions to hate the United States and the people in it. It would be impractical to believe that one clever sign could make people change their minds or renounce their Islamophobia, but the people behind the sign believe that it is a step in the right direction.
One thing is for certain, the billboard has caused a stir on social media to inspire a serious conversation about the way people judge people from the middle east. The judgments go well beyond the languages in the region. Judgments have been extended to religions, articles of clothing, and other aspects of culture in the middle east.
Some fear that what Trump has started will not stop if he loses the election or when he leaves office. Some anticipate that this rhetoric might only get worse. This is partly the reason why an honest conversation about racism needs to happen now. The seeds of this fear are being planted, and it may be possible to reverse the damage that this man has caused with the right people, like those behind “Cards Against Humanity.”