WASHINGTON -- 2016 Republican presidential contender and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson dug in Sunday on recent comments that a Muslim should not be America’s president. In fact, he said, before the U.S. embraces a Muslim leader, someone should probably rewrite the Koran.
“What we should be talking about is Islam and the tenets of Islam and where do they come from? They come from Shariah. They come from the Koran. They come from, you know, the life works and examples of Muhammad. They come from the Fatwas, which is the writings of scholars,” Carson told ABC’s Martha Raddatz in remarks that aired on ABC News' "This Week with George Stephanopoulos."
“What I would like for somebody to show me is an improved Islamic text that opposes Shariah. Let me see -- if you can show me that, I will begin to alter my thinking on this. But right now, when you have something that is against the rights of women, against the rights of gays, subjugates other religions, and a host of things that are not compatible with our Constitution, why, in fact, would you take that chance?”
Carson told NBC’s "Meet The Press" last week that he would not advocate a Muslim in the Oval Office, saying certain tenets of the religion -- including Shariah law, which is not embraced rigidly by all practicing Muslims -- would be at odds with the Constitution. That sound bite sparked outrage, prompting Carson to blame the media for taking the remarks out of context.
"Anybody from any faith, from any belief system, who comes to America, becomes an American citizen, embraces our American values and principles and is willing to subjugate their beliefs for our Constitution is somebody I have no problem with," he said Friday.
Carson again attempted to back off his remarks in his ABC appearance this Sunday.
“Read the paragraph before that where I said anybody, doesn’t matter what their religious background, if they accept American values and principles and are willing to subjugate their religious beliefs to our Constitution. I have no problem with them,” Carson told Raddatz. “Why do you guys always leave that part out, I wonder?”
He went on to say he would rethink his position if someone rewrote the millennia-old religious text that serves as Islam’s foundation.
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