Presidential hopeful Ben Carson made some controversial remarks about Islam in an interview with NBC. When asked if he thought Islam was consistent with the U.S. Constitution, Carson responded:
"No, I do not. I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation. I absolutely would not agree with that."
The president of the Islamic Center of Rochester says, by now, he's come to recognize this as a ploy for media attention.
"I understand, and many of us understand, that these candidates are jockeying for a position and they're trying to make a name for themselves."
Sareer Fazili says Islamophobic remarks have become a shortcut for fringe candidates to set themselves apart. Fazili says he thinks this can be dangerous, because these comments can justify anti-Muslim sentiment across the country, but he says he believes these opinions are representative of a small minority.
More importantly, he sees these moments as an opportunity.
"We have the opportunity to engage people, who otherwise we might not have the opportunity to engage, in a little bit of 'Islam 101.' Just a little bit of education."
He says in the past, media attention on Islam has lead to constructive conversations within the community. Fazili says after 9/11, he was invited to speak with groups and churches and to answer questions about his faith.
He says the Islamic Center of Rochester strives to keep their doors open to people who want to know more about Islam. In the meantime, Fazili says he trusts the American public to eliminate candidates that run on a platform of discrimination.
"Article Six of the U.S. Constitution states that there would not be a religion test for anybody who wanted to serve as the President, and I think that, in America, we know better than to start discriminating against people on the basis of religion."
