World leaders react to Trump's Muslim ban
*French President Francois Hollande*
“Europe is facing a moment of truth. The issue is populism. What we are hearing from the US encourages populism and even extremism. They are saying that Europe should not take immigrants, shouldn’t stay together, not believe in climate change.
*Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted*
“To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada.”
*Israel President Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted*
Israel’s wall along its border with Egypt had stemmed a swell of African migrants: “President Trump is right. I built a wall along Israel’s southern border. It stopped all illegal immigration. Great success. Great idea.”
*Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim*
“You cannot settle this (refugee) issue by building walls. Nobody leaves their homes for nothing.” Turkey has admitted some 3 million Syrian refugees since the start of the war in its neighbour.
“They came here to save their lives and our doors were open. And if the same thing happened again, we would do it again.”
*German foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel*
“’Love thy neighbour’ is part of this tradition, the act of helping others.”
*UK Prime Minister Theresa May*
“The United States is responsible for the United States’ policy on refugees.”
*Far-right Dutch populist Geert Wilders, whose party is polling strongly ahead of the country’s March 15 election, said in a tweet*
“No immigrants from Islamic countries.”
*Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said the new US President had “forgotten the Berlin Wall fell years ago” as he attacked the planned construction, aimed at tackling illegal immigration.
“Today is not the time to erect walls between nations,” he said in a speech carried live on Iranian state television.
*Berlin’s mayor Michael Mueller said his city, which was divided from 1961 to 1989, “cannot look on without comment when a country plans to build a new wall”. “We Berliners know best how much suffering the division of a continent, cemented by barbed wire and concrete, caused,” he said.
