In an interview on Tuesday, Republican Presidential candidate, Ben Carson, compared Muhammad unfavorably to Jesus and called Muslim Americans “schizophrenic”.
Breitbart News Daily host Stephen Bannon asked the neurosurgeon turned politician if Muslims would be able to incorporate American values. Carson answered, “Only if they’re schizophrenic. I don’t see how they can do it otherwise, because you have two different philosophies.”
Carson was also asked his opinion about former President George W. Bush’s recent remarks that Islam is the religion of peace. Carson disagreed with Bush’s opinion, adding, ““Bear in mind there are a lot of people in this country who will say that same thing … because they bought into it.”
Carson, a devout Seventh Day Adventist, compared Muhammad to Jesus, saying , the founder of Islam was “somebody who [lived] a life who is in no way comparable to Jesus Christ.”
Carson is a veteran at criticizing Islam in public. Last year, on NBC’s Meet the Press, he said, “I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation. I absolutely would not agree with that,” stating that Islam is,” inconsistent with the values and principles of America”. He later justified his opinion, saying a Muslim presidential candidate “would have to reject the tenets of Islam.”
At the same time, he told The Hill that a president should be “sworn in on a stack of Bibles, not a Koran.” US law does not specify any book for the swearing in of public officials.
