By Leah Barkoukis
Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson drew the ire of both Democrats and some Republican presidential candidates after saying on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday that he would “not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation.”
Even after the criticism, Carson refused to walk back his comment, although he did offer more clarification.
"Those Republicans that take issue with my position are amazing," he wrote in a Facebook statement. "Under Islamic Law, homosexuals – men and women alike – must be killed. Women must be subservient. And people following other religions must be killed. I know that there are many peaceful Muslims who do not adhere to these beliefs. But until these tenants are fully renounced ... I cannot advocate any Muslim candidate for President."
And to be fair, he told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that he wouldn’t advocate putting a Christian in the office if they wanted to turn the country into a theocracy. “We don't put people at the head of our country whose faith might interfere with them carrying out the duties of the Constitution,” he said.
Not only do a number of Americans agree with his comment—based on the amount of money pouring into his campaign since then—but he’s also received support from Dr. Tawfik Hamid, a former Islamic extremist.
“As a Muslim — and particularly as a former member of a radical Islamist group — I can state unequivocally that Dr. Carson is correct,” Hamid wrote in a column. “Without a single exception, the approved Islamic literature teaches violent principles such as killing apostates, beating women, killing gays, and enslaving female war prisoners for sexual purposes.”
“If anyone doubts this, or wishes to challenge it, they need to prove this to be wrong,” he continued, adding that no Islamic texts exist which reject the “traditional barbaric principles of Islamic law.”
“These Shariah values and principles, which are so hostile to the American Constitution, are still an integral part of mainstream Islam,” he noted.
Thus, Carson is absolutely correct.
