GOP CANDIDATE: NO US MUSLIM PRESIDENT
Iowa, 7 Dhulhijjah 1436/21 September 2015 (MINA) – In a fresh anti-Muslim rant, the Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson said that he does not believe a Muslim should be president, sparking fresh criticism on the GOP politics towards the American Muslim community.
“I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation. I absolutely would not agree with that,” the retired neurosurgeon said, On Islam quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.
Responding to a question on Meet the Press, Carson said that Islam isn’t consistent with the Constitution.
He added that president’s faith should matter depending on what that faith is.
“If it’s inconsistent with the values and principles of America, then of course it should matter,” he clarified.
When asked if he would consider voting for a Muslim candidate for Congress, the devout Christian said, “Congress is a different story, but it depends on who that Muslim is and what they’re policies are, just as it depends on what anybody else says, you know.”
On the other hand, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump played down his anti-Muslim rhetoric, saying that he may consider appointing a Muslim to his cabinet if elected.
“I love the Muslims. I think they’re great people,” He said.
Trump was answering a question about whether Muslims pose a danger to the country.
His pro-Muslim comments came a few days after sparking a controversy when he failed to correct a supporter this week who called US President Barack Obama a Muslim.
The supporter also asked the American business magnate how he plans to “get rid of” Muslims in the country.
“We’re going to be looking at a lot of different things,” Trump responded.
“You know, a lot of people are saying that and a lot of people are saying that bad things are happening.”
Defending why he chose not to correct the supporter, the real estate mogul wrote on Twitter: “Am I morally obligated to defend the president every time somebody says something bad or controversial about him? I don’t think so!
“If I would have challenged the man, the media would have accused me of interfering with that man’s right of free speech. A no win situation!”
During his a question-and-answer session with Iowa students, Trump was asked whether he would consider putting a Muslim in his Cabinet if elected in 2016.
“Oh, absolutely,” Trump responded. “No problem with that.”
Though there are no official estimates, the US is home to from 7-8 million Muslims.
An earlier Gallup poll found that the majority of Americans Muslims are loyal to their country and optimistic about their future in the United States. (T/P006/R04)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
