Last month, there was a glimmer of hope for Texas Senator Ted Cruz, as he rebuked salacious comments (well, sort of) by another GOP rival Ben Carson, whom said that a Muslim could never be President of the United States.
But those that have watched Cruz closely know that what he says today will likely be very different than the comments of tomorrow. On the campaign trail in Michigan, the Senator’s Islamophobic pandering was back on full display.
Here’s the story from Jonathan Oosting at Michigan Live…
KALAMAZOO, MI — Presidential candidate Ted Cruz said Monday morning in Michigan that it would be “absolutely crazy” to bring more Syrian refugees to the United States, despite a humanitarian crisis that has captured the attention of the world.
The U.S. Senator from Texas spoke to a crowd of roughly 800 guests at the Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo, criticizing President Barack Obama on a number of fronts, including his plans to allow more Syrian refugees into the country.
“What President Obama is proposing to do, bring tens of thousands of Syrian Muslims to America, is nothing short of crazy,” Cruz told the crowd during a question and answer period.
[…]
“It would be the height of foolishness to bring in tens of thousands of people, including jihadists who are coming here to murder innocent Americans,” Cruz said. “…With respect to the refugees, it is a humanitarian crisis, but they ought to be settled in the middle east, in majority Muslim countries.”
Is it even possible to defend the constitution’s freedom religion, and then make comments like these?? In the world of Ted Cruz, apparently so.
In a time where Muslim communities across this country suffer constant discrimination, unfair scrutiny and unspeakable indignation, it’s a real disappointment to hear such irresponsible comments from a statewide elected official. Nevermind the fact that half a million Texas residents whom happen to be Muslim should expect better of their Senator.
Sadly, Cruz’s carelessness comes the same week that Anti-Islamic rallies are planned across the United States. The rallies have are planned to be staged in front of American mosques in places like Kentucky, and possibly even Houston.
The threat is so serious that CAIR— The Council on American- Islamic Relations, released a statement of alert to American Muslim communities.
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 10/4/15) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today urged Muslim community leaders to consider instituting additional safety measures in response to hate rallies by possibly armed anti-Muslim extremists targeting mosques nationwide on October 10.
[NOTE: October 9 has also been mentioned online as a date for the hate rallies.]
CAIR also called on all Presidential candidates and other elected officials to not only repudiate Anti-Muslim hate rallies, but also to show support for the community by visiting a mosque this weekend.
No doubt that many of the Senator’s constituents will be looking for a more sensible response. At this point, no one can be quite sure what they’ll get from Ted Cruz.
