Ibrahim Hooper of the loathsome Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has called for Ben Carson to withdraw from the presidential race. He cites Dr. Carson’s comment that “I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation; I absolutely would not agree with that.”
I don’t subscribe to the sweeping proposition that a Muslim shouldn’t be president of the United States. But CAIR is Exhibit A for the proposition that certain Muslims, including any who don’t denounce CAIR, shouldn’t be president.
CAIR emerged from a network of violent or political Islamic groups linked to the revivalist Muslim Brotherhood movement. The U.S. government named CAIR an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation case. In that case, leaders of the Holy Land Foundation were found guilty of aiding the Hamas terrorists. Moreover, the United Arab Emirates has designated CAIR a terrorist organization.
Hooper’s comments reflects a misunderstanding of the Constitution. Hooper argued that Carson’s comments are unconstitutional because Article Six of the Constitution forbids a religious test as a requirement for qualification to any public office.
But Carson didn’t say that Muslims should be barred from public office. He simply said that he wouldn’t advocate that a Muslim be elected president. (Politico’s headline — “Ben Carson: America’s president can’t be Muslim” — does not accurately reflect Politico’s own account of what Carson actually said).
Hooper fails to understand that Carson is not required to advocate that a Muslim be elected president. The First Amendment leaves Carson free to advocate whatever he wants to on the issue of who should be president.
Hooper’s “misunderstanding” of the Constitution is no coincidence. CAIR has systematically attempted to silence its critics through lawsuits designed to trample on First Amendment rights.
CAIR’s founder, Omar Ahmad, has said:
Islam isn’t in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant. The Koran, the Muslim book of scripture, should be the highest authority in America, and Islam the only accepted religion on Earth.
Thus, Hooper, CAIR’s spokesman, cannot refute Carson’s concern about the tension between Islam and the U.S. Constitution. He must therefore resort to calling on Carson to withdraw based on a twisted interpretation of a Constitution his organization does not respect.
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