Ben Carson on People Who Say Sharia Law Is Not Part of Islam: “That’s Rewriting History”
2016 GOP presidential candidate & author of “A More Perfect Union-What We The People Can Do To Reclaim Our Constitutional Liberties”, Dr. Ben Carson, joined Kilmeade & Friends in studio to talk about passing Trump in some polls, what made him decide to run for president, why America is the greatest nation, what Muslim Americans need to do to help fight radical Muslims and his new book.
Watch here:
Ben Carson’s reaction to leading in the latest Investor’s Business Daily poll over Donald Trump, 24% to 17%
“I was obviously pleasantly surprised to see that but, although, there have been a number of polls, the Louisiana poll weekend had me number one, the Pennsylvania poll yesterday has me tied with Trump, so it seems to be an emerging trend but I am not sure these polls mean anything at this point in time. In a few month’s they will mean a lot.”
When did Ben Carson decide he wanted to run for president?
“I think it wasn’t one day, it was so many, particularly, elderly people, saying to me that they have given up on America and they were waiting to die. I have heard that from so many places, north, south, east and west, red states, blue states and I said ‘what is happening to us as a nation and why is it that people so much want me as opposed to a politician?’ I began to think about it and recognize that no one trusts the establishment anymore and that’s a huge part of a successful nation, is trust, and we have lost that. We have to bring it back, we have to bring integrity back. We have to recognize that America is a special place. There is an American way and there is an American dream but there is not a French dream or Swedish dream or a Brazilian dream. There is something very special about our nation and we shouldn’t be so anxious to give it away so we can be politically correct.”
In your book, you break down the Constitution. Why did you feel it necessary to break down the Constitution for readers?
“The vast majority of people know we have a constitution but very few people can tell you what’s in it. If you have a nation ‘of, for and by the people’ then obviously the people have to know what the rules are.”
Why has the Constitution stood strong all these years compared to other nations?
“I think it has to do with the fact that it surrounds the rights of the people, not the rights of the government. It is there to keep the government in check so they realize it is their job to promote life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for the people. Most other governmental documents are for the government.”
The Founding Fathers were not perfect. They said blacks were only 3/4 of a person, women were not allowed to vote. What do you say to people who say the Constitution was written by all men who were slave owners?
“I would say to them, show me something that is better? There are no perfect people, nowhere in the word and nowhere during history. What you have to do is to see if people are capable of learning and if you can learn from your mistakes, you can make a lot of progress. Have we made mistakes? Of course we have but remember, this nation, the United States of America, has changed the course of the world. Before we came on the scene, for thousands of years, people did the same way. Within 200 years of America, men were walking on the moon. It changed the trajectory of mankind. This is a very different place.”
Ben Carson responds to Dr. Qanta Ahmed, who, on Kilmeade & Friends, takes exception to Dr. Carson’s comments that a Muslim should not be president if they don’t renounce Sharia law.
“I would like for her to tell me where my statement was incorrect and where it is inconsistent with the Constitution?”
Dr. Ahmed saying Sharia Law isn’t a part of the Muslim religion, it came after the Koran was written.
Ben Carson (laughing) “That’s rewriting history, that’s for sure. Islam contains not only Sharia, but also the writing and the life experience of Mohammed. And also the fatwa, which is the writings of the intellectuals. Go and try to convince those people that Sharia is not part of Islam. They will dispute that.”
Have you worked with Muslims?
“I have worked with many Muslims. I have trained Muslims. I have operated on Muslims and I don’t have anything against Muslims. What I have said is, I don’t care what background a person is from if they are willing to accept American values and place our Constitution above their belief system, I don’t have any problem with them.”
If a Muslim ran for office and they said they were Americans first and Muslims second, would you back them for office?
“Absolutely, that wouldn’t be a problem at all.”
What does the Muslim community need to do regarding the radical element among them?
“If there are people in the Muslim community who feel we want absolutely nothing to do with Sharia, we want nothing to do with these radical elements, if they don’t stand up to these people, I don’t see how we can then distinguish them from the others.”
If you don’t get the 2016 GOP nomination, would that be the end of your political career?
“I will certainly continue to speak out, I will continue to write books, I will continue to be involved but only God knows what I will be doing in the future.”
Your reaction to Donald Trump not paying much mind to the latest Investor’s Business Daily poll that has you leading Trump?
(laughing) “He is Donald Trump. As I have said before, polls are polls, they will be up, they will be down. This is a long thing that we are in, it’s a marathon and it’s really, who is up in the end and who do the people trust that’s important.”
