Aziz Ansari takes on Donald Trump, Islamophobia and gun control in new essay

Comedian and actor Aziz Ansariis calling for a stop to Muslim hate speech and demanding changes to gun laws in a new essay called"Why Trump Makes Me Scared For My Family."

"In our culture, when people think 'Muslim,'the picture in their heads is not usually of the Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai,Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or the kid who left the boy band One Direction,"theMaster of Nonecreator and starwrotein an opinion piece published Saturdayin theNew York Times.

"It's of a scary terrorist character from Homelandor some monster from the news."

Ansari, the son of Muslim immigrants, objected to Donald Trump'scomments calling for a temporaryU.S. ban on foreign Muslims as a solution to fight terrorism.

• Donald Trump says U.S. needs to consider profiling Muslims to stop attacks

The comedian sarcasticallypointed out that generalizingentire groups with a blanket of blamefor the country's problems isn't the answer.

"By Mr. Trump's logic, after the huge financial crisis of 2007-08, the best way to protect the American economy would have been to ban white males," he wrote, pointing out that the bankers who caused the problem were white males.

Ansariargues prejudice is gaining new ground following theattack on an Orlando nightclubJune 12, in which an extremist gunman killed 49 people.

The"hate-filled rhetoric" from theRepublicanpresidentialhopeful is not only making matters worse, he wrote,but"makes no sense."

"The overwhelming number of Muslim Americans have as much in common with that monster in Orlando as any white person has with any of the white terrorists who shoot up movie theatres or schools or abortion clinics," he wrote.

Ansari, also known for his role on the comedy Parks and Recreation,calledfor gun control legislation by American lawmakers.

"One way to decrease the risk of terrorism is clear: Keep military-grade weaponry out of the hands of mentally unstable people, those with a history of violence, and those on FBIwatch lists," he wrote in the essay.

• Divided U.S. Senate votes down changes to gun control laws

He concluded bysaying"sit-ins and filibusters" can't seem to match theNational Rifle Association'spowerful lobbying.

"Suspected terrorists can buy assault rifles, but we're still carrying tiny bottles of shampoo to the airport."