Ben Carson on a Muslim for President

Hassan Rouhani for President?

 The View from the Middle

Hassan Rouhani is the President of Iran, and obviously a real Muslim.  Could he be the President of The United States?  Sure, if he went through our rigorous vetting process called the primary and general elections and received enough votes.  The bigger question is “should” he or “would” you vote for him?

THAT is what Chuck Todd of NBC News asked of Ben Carson, and Mr. Carson answered honestly to those questions, which is a rarity in politics today.  I’m confident that Ben knows that a Muslim has a legal right to run for President.  He’s a pretty smart guy.  But he was specifically asked, “Should your faith matter to voters” and “Do you believe that Islam is consistent with our constitution”.  In effect, he was asking Carson if he would vote for a Muslim for President.  So, let me ask each of you if you would vote for a true Muslim for President.

Chuck Todd did not qualify his definition of Muslim to include Westernized Muslims who reject much of the Islamic doctrine, so Ben could only assume that Chuck was talking about a true Muslim.  So what does a true Muslim believe?

They believe that God is called Allah.  I don’t think that’s a big deal.  And they believe that Jesus was a prophet.  I think he was much more, but I don’t think that disqualifies them from holding office.  They do believe in the Quran, however, and that’s where the conflicts begin.

The Quran suggests that all non-Muslims and infidels must be converted or killed.  That doesn’t sound like it’s consistent with the first amendment of our Constitution, so let’s keep that in mind.  The Quran also encourages Muslims to lie to their enemies or infidels (we qualify as both) if it will help them overcome us.  In the United States, we take an oath on the Bible to tell the truth.  That’s a conflict!!

If you are a woman or gay in a Muslim country, things can get a pretty dicey.  Women must hide their faces in public.  In many countries they can’t drive a car or even walk on a public street without a male escort.  If you are gay, life is not even a given.  We’ve all seen videos of young gay men being thrown off rooftops to the concrete sidewalks below.  Talk about denying someone’s civil rights!

Finally, a Muslim believes that Sharia law should supersede the laws of our country, including our Constitution and Bill of Rights.  There are many conflicts with Sharia law and our constitution; for example, according to Sharia law if a person leaves the Muslim faith, the penalty is death.  Under Sharia, the penalty for stealing is to have your hands or feet cut off.  I think this might qualify as cruel and unusual punishment.  And under Sharia, women are held to a different and stricter rule of law than men.

So, the question is, would YOU vote for a true Muslim for President of the United States.  I commend Ben Carson for his thoughtful and truthful answer.  Now, I think THAT (being thoughtful and honest) is a good qualification for President of The United States.  Go Ben!!