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ROMNEY: NO MUSLIMS IN MY CABINET.
Conservatives have long downplayed the benefits of diversity in public institutions, calling race, ethnicity, and gender conscious hiring a misguided "quota" policy. That's why it's no surprise that while campaigning in Las Vegas earlier this month, Mitt Romney told Pakistani American businessman Mansoor Ijaz that he didn't see having Muslims in the presidential cabinet as a benefit in the fight against Islamic terrorism. "Based on the numbers of American Muslims [as a percentage] in our population, I cannot see that a cabinet position would be justified. But of course, I would imagine that Muslims could serve at lower levels of my administration," Romney said. Ijaz responds to the exchange in a Christian Science Monitor op-ed called "A Muslim Belongs in the Cabinet."
What Romney doesn't seem to understand is that having close Muslim advisors wouldn't be about reflecting the population of the United States in the cabinet -- although that would be a beautiful thing. Rather, it's about giving culturally competent, bilingual Middle East experts a chance to have their voices heard in the formulation of U.S. foreign policy. Who's better equipped than they to revitalize America's image in the Muslim world? Karen Hughes?
--Dana Goldstein
COMMENTS (4)
I love how Romney cites the small number of Muslims in the country as an excuse.
But wouldn't that give the rest of us the right to claim that "based on the number of Mormons in the country" Romney doesn't deserve to be president?
Or can we agree that that would be unfair. How about "based on the fact that Mitt Romney is a racist, he doesn't deserve to be in government at all".
Posted by: Jinchi | November 27, 2007 12:28 PM
Since when have Muslims become a "race"? Romney's comments here aren't "racist"--altho that's the preferred category of progressive demonology--but rather could be regarded as reflecting religious bigotry (depends on one's perspective of course). Ironic considering that Romney himself has faced religious bigotry from both the left and the right thus far.
Posted by: Ihcnij | November 27, 2007 1:10 PM
Ijaz isn't just a Pakistani American businessman. He's a former Fox News commentator.
Posted by: js | November 27, 2007 2:16 PM
Looks like my doppleganger is a fundamentalist grammarian.
I personally don't care if his bigotry is focused on brown people, Arabs, Persians, or just anyone who believes in Islam. One is as bad as the others.
but rather could be regarded as reflecting religious bigotry
There's no could be about it. If anyone made the same statement about Jews, Southern Baptists or Mormons he'd be outraged. He singles out Muslims because he thinks less of them.
Posted by: Jinchi | November 27, 2007 2:28 PM