The recent travel ban by the president of United States has far-reaching effects on the Muslim community living outside the six banned nations. The Ban is a short documentary that sheds light on how Muslim individuals are affected by the travel ban living in Canada, specially in Vancouver.

Many have deemed this travel ban as xenophobic as it encourages discrimination against Muslims and promotes Islamophobia. The Ban, facilitated by Dr. Melek Ortabasi (SFU), interviews individuals who were affected by the ban. This video documentary gives them the platform for their stories to be heard. The Ban also includes prominent figures such as Vancouver-based author and social activist Harsha Walia and Joy Kogawa, Canadian author and member of the Order of Canada. Joy underwent extreme racial discrimination during the Japanese internment in 1941.

The purpose of this video is to raise awareness and promote inclusivity of Muslim community in Canada. The take-away message from this video is, as Joy Kogawa states near the end of video, “don’t let this happen again,” drawing a sharp comparison to the pitfalls of our modern history. This documentary calls for public attention to the ban and helps demonstrate how such a ruling negatively affects innocent Muslims living across the world.