Democratic Candidate Censures GOP Rival for Offensive Remarks against Muslims
In an interview on Sunday, Carson suggested that a Muslim shouldn’t be president of the United States, arguing their faith Islam is inconsistent with the US constitution.
“I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation,” Carson said. “I absolutely would not agree with that.”
Independent Senator Sanders, who is seeking Democratic nomination, said in a statement released late on Sunday that Carson’s comments were out of line.
“I am very disappointed that Dr. Carson would suggest that a Muslim should not become president of the United States,” he said.
“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,” said the Vermont senator.
Democratic Congressman Keith Ellison, the first African-American Muslim from Minnesota to serve in Congress, also condemned Dr. Carson for his remarks.
“The freedom of religion is a founding principle of our nation. Our Constitution gives this right to all Americans -- including elected officials,” Ellison said in a statement on Sunday.
“For Ben Carson, Donald Trump, or any other Republican politician to suggest that someone of any faith is unfit for office is out of touch with who we are as a people,” he stated.
“It’s unimaginable that the leading GOP presidential candidates are resorting to fear mongering to benefit their campaigns, and every American should be disturbed that these national figures are engaging in and tolerating blatant acts of religious bigotry,” Ellison pointed out.
Carson's comments came two days after frontrunner Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump failed to respond to anti-Muslims remarks by a Trump supporter at a campaign rally.
The white man wrongly called US President Barack Obama a non-American Muslim and said Muslims are "a problem in this country."
And in an interview on Sunday, Trump said that a Muslim in the White House is "something that could happen.
Asked whether he would be comfortable with a Muslim president of the US, Trump said, “Some people have said it already happened, frankly," in a clear reference to Obama. "But of course you won't agree with that."
A day earlier, however, the GOP frontrunner told CNN that he loves Muslims and that he would contemplate putting a Muslim in his cabinet. "I love the Muslims. I think they're great people.”
Source: Press TV
