When asked over the weekend if, were he to become President (an event that is about as likely as me becoming President), he would appoint any Muslims to his cabinet or as a Federal Judge, Herman Cain said: "No, I will not, and here's why. There is this creeping attempt, there is this attempt to gradually ease Sharia law and the Muslim faith into our government. It does not belong in our government. This is what happened in Europe. And little by little, to try and be politically correct, they made this little change, they made this little change. And now they've got a social problem that they don't know what to do with hardly." When Cain was accused of being a bigot, his communications director, Ellen Carmichael, answered that "[t]he claim that he is bigoted – when he himself has lived the majority of his childhood and young adult life under segregation – is pretty baseless." Carmichael also said that "Just as he would never appoint a Catholic who is loyal to the Pope before he or she is loyal to the Constitution, Mr. Cain would never appoint a Muslim who believes Sharia law trumps our U.S. Constitution. Anyone who is in the business of making laws, or interpreting laws, should use the Constitution and nothing else."
It’s hard to know where to start here, but the claim that black people who have lived through segregation can’t be bigots is a good place to start. Just because you have been suffered at the hands of bigots in one way or the other does not mean that you can’t be a bigot. Everyone can be a bigot if he wants to, or even if he doesn’t want to. Bigots don’t always realize that they are being bigots. Whether he realizes it or not, Herman Cain is a bigot.
Next, let’s dispense with the backtracking. Cain was clearly saying he would not appoint a Muslim. If he had wanted to say that he wouldn’t appoint Muslims who had particular beliefs, he is plenty smart enough to have known how to say that.
Now, let’s tackle the idea that Sharia is about to infiltrate and take over the American judicial system. I’m not sure why exactly we should have to, because it’s a pretty ridiculous idea, but let’s tackle it anyway. First of all, what did you think when you read Carmichael’s line about Catholics choosing the Pope over the Constitution? Can you imagine a Catholic movement to bring the United States under the power of the Pope. Are you concerned? Are you going to lose any sleep over this? Did it make you laugh? Why is it different when we talk about American Muslims imposing Sharia? Second, Muslims in America only talk about Sharia as it pertains to family law. They aren’t the only religious group to attempt to follow their own rules in the area of family law (Jews and Mormons come to mind). Have any presidential hopefuls been warning us of the specter of the Beth Din? Muslims, like other groups, are attempting to keep some of their own practices, and when it doesn’t conflict with American law, which is most of the time, this isn’t the least bit worrisome. Where it does, it still shouldn’t worry us because our legal system is robust enough to handle it.
Finally, let’s get at the main point Cain is making. He is saying Muslims, if they aren’t radicals, are just a step away from it and we all ought to be wary and scared and probably paranoid. Why doesn’t this apply to Christians? Why aren’t we all a step away from bombing an abortion clinic or picketing a soldier’s funeral? Why do we let public figures get away with spreading vile lies and distortions about a whole group of people simply to further their own political ambitions? Why do many of us accept these lies? Why don’t we take the time to learn about Islam before we start talking about it? Why is Herman Cain running for President? I wish I could answer any of these questions.
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