No Muslim should be US president: Carson

Presidential candidate, Ben Carson has been under constant pressure from the media, especially in relation with his faith. A number of controversies has come up as to whether he supports gay marriage. This time, he was asked whether a president’s religion should matter, sparking another controversy.

According to Vanguard:

Republican presidential hopeful Ben Carson said Sunday no Muslim should be president of the United States, adding a new twist to a controversy roiling the party’s White House nominating race.


In an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Carson, a retired brain surgeon who often refers to his own deep Christian faith, was asked whether a president’s religion should matter.

“I guess it depends on what that faith is. If it’s inconsistent with the values and principles of America, then of course it should matter. But if it fits within the realm of America and consistent with the constitution, no problem,” he said.

Asked whether he believes Islam is consistent with the US constitution, he responded: “No, I don’t. I do not.”

“I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation. I absolutely would not agree with that,” he added

The issue abruptly surfaced in recent days when Republican front-runner Donald Trump let pass unchallenged a questioner’s assertion that US President Barack Obama was a Muslim.

Trump later said he was not “morally obligated” to defend Obama against the man’s unfounded claim, but his handling of the incident drew fire from Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, the White House and some Republican rivals of the billionaire real estate mogul.

Carson, who slipped to third among Republican presidential contenders in opinion polls Sunday after running second to Trump for weeks, said he believed Obama was born in the United States and is a Christian.

His remarks predictably sparked ire from Democrats.

Senator Bernie Sanders, a presidential hopeful, said on the campaign trail in New Hampshire that he was “disappointed” in Carson, who is black.

“It took us too long to overcome the prejudice against electing a Catholic or an African-American president. People should be elected to office based on their ideas, not their religion or the color of their skin,” Sanders said.

Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a congresswoman from Florida, said it was “hard to understand what’s so difficult about supporting an American citizen’s right to run for president.”

“Of course a Muslim, or any other American citizen, can run for president, end of story. To think otherwise is not only harmful to our political process, but it elevates and validates discrimination in this country,” she said, calling for an apology.

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