The Guardian highlighted UN High Commissioner for refugees Antonio Guterres, who recently responded to anti-Muslim and anti-refugee rhetoric pushed by Donald Trump and other conservatives, stating that "[t]hose that reject Syrian refugees, and especially if they are Muslim, are the best allies of the propaganda and the recruitment of extremist groups."

Guterres' comments come in the wake of Donald Trump's unconstitutional proposal to ban all Muslims from entering the United States, and vindicates media outlets that argued Trump's extreme rhetoric “feeds into the ISIS narrative,” and is “counterproductive to our efforts” to defeat the terrorist group. Guterres affirmed to the UN Security Council that “We must not forget that - despite the rhetoric we are hearing these days - refugees are the first victims of such terror, not its source.” From The Guardian:

People who reject Syrian refugees are the “best allies” of Islamic State militants and other extremists, the United Nations refugee chief said on Monday after US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump proposed an entry ban on foreign Muslims.

More than 4.3 million Syrians have fled a nearly five-year civil war. UN High Commissioner for refugees Antonio Guterres told the Security Council they cannot be blamed for the terror they are risking their lives to escape."

Those that reject Syrian refugees, and especially if they are Muslim, are the best allies of the propaganda and the recruitment of extremist groups.

Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said on Saturday that Islamic State is using Trump's rhetoric to enlist fighters to radical jihad. Trump rejected her claim and called her a “liar.”

[...]

Several US states said they would close the door to Syrian refugees, while Trump - currently the Republican Party's front-runner for the November 2016 election - called for a ban on foreign Muslims entering the United States."

We must not forget that - despite the rhetoric we are hearing these days - refugees are the first victims of such terror, not its source," Guterres said. "They cannot be blamed for a threat which they're risking their lives to escape.

[Photo credit: U.S. Mission Photo by Eric Bridiers]