Will Sessions become Attorney General amid Muslim ban controversy?

By: Zahra Emamzadeh WELLINGTON, Feb. 08 (MNA) – As Donald Trump has nominated Jeff Sessions, a 70-year-old Senator representing Alabama since 1997, as his Attorney General, his performance in the position considering his racist stances in the past is under question. Sessions has acquired his doctorate from University of Alabama School of Law. He is one of the most conservative members of the US senate who has very strict ideas toward both illegal and legal immigration. Attorney general is a person in charge of applying laws against hate crimes and rights of abortion. He is the person who can take care of president deeds to be based on the constitution. Jeff Sessions has stated his views about the duties of attorney general as “he or she must be willing to tell the President ‘no’ if he overreaches. He or she cannot be a mere rubber stamp.” He admits that “I understand the absolute necessity that all my actions must fall within the bounds of the constitution and the laws of the United States.” Sessions like the US president Donald Trump, is notoriously known to be a racist politician although he ignores the fact. In fact, in 1986 that the Senate blocked his nomination by President Ronald Reagan to a federal judgeship after hearing testimony about his racist remarks about his colleagues, he also had a failed voter-fraud prosecution that he brought against black civil rights activists. Upon his nomination for Attorney General, a group of 1,400 law school professors from more than 48 states sent a letter to the Congress asking the Senate to reject Jeff Sessions’ appointment. In the letter it is pointed out that “we are convinced that Jeff Sessions will not fairly enforce our nation’s laws and promote justice and equality in the United States […] Nothing in Senator Sessions’ public life since 1986 has convinced us that he is a different man than the 39-year-old attorney who was deemed too racially insensitive to be a federal district court judge”. Another open letter, was signed by 400 civil right campaign groups, in which the signatories have argued that, “Senator Sessions has a 30-year record of racial insensitivity, bias against immigrants, disregard for the rule of law and hostility to the protection of civil rights that makes him unfit to serve as the attorney general of the United States.” Session had some points which contradicts with president Donald Trump; Session has stated that he is against the idea of Muslim ban, which is now issued as an executive order by Trump. He declared that he will not back Trump on “complete and total shutdown on all Muslims entering the United States” in December 2015. “I believe the president-elect subsequent to that statement made clear he believes the focus should be on individuals coming from countries that have a history of terrorism,” he had then said. “I hope we can keep people out of the country who want to kill everybody because of their religion,” he added, while making clear he does not believe most Muslims hold such views. He also opposed creating a registry of American Muslims or banning Muslim immigrants, which Donald Trump has repeatedly proposed during the campaign in response to terrorist attacks. Session admits “I believe the president-elect has subsequently to that statement made clear the focus should be on individuals coming from countries that have a history of terrorism.” He also stated that; “I have no belief, and do not support the idea, that Muslims as a religious group should be denied admission to the United States”. In Jeff Session confirmation hearing that was held on 10/1/2017 some other key points were discussed, the most important ones include; - How is he going to look after the civil right laws in the United States - The concern about the high rates of incarceration and recidivism - The police role in killing people - The issue of same-sex marriage and woman’s right to an abortion and also LGBT The 70-year-old Sessions, with a very disappointing background for being racist and strict toward all other nations and ethnic groups other than white Americans is a big concern of today American policy making. US attorney general is the position which needs a moderate person to take care of enforcing laws against hate crimes and many other critical points and does not seem to fit him although he and the president believe otherwise. There is a big chance for Jeff Sessions to be able to take the position unless he loses some Republican support. We need to wait to see if Trump’s viewpoints toward Muslims as a minority group or Session’s stance toward Muslims will be the new workable policy in US with the new presidency! The point is that if Session who, in case he takes the position, has the right to stand against the president, is going to use the power?! which he believes he can! With Trump’s controversial executive order to ban citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from travelling to the United States and all the protests and opposition it stirred as well as the judge rule overriding president’s order, would be a major challenge, if not The major challenge, for next Attorney General whether it is Sessions or someone else.