Dismissing criticism from a Muslim civil liberties advocacy group, Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson affirmed on Monday that he "absolutely" stood by his earlier comments that a Muslim is not fit to become president of the United States.
However, he clarified that he was referring to a Muslim who espouses the Islamic Sharia law which, he said, is inconsistent with the US Constitution.
"We don't put people at the head of our country whose faith might interfere with them carrying out the duties of the Constitution," Carson told Fox News. "If you're a Christian and you're running for president and you want to make this [country] into a theocracy, I'm not going to support you. I'm not going to advocate you being the president."
"Now, if someone has a Muslim background, and they're willing to reject those tenets and to accept the way of life that we have, and clearly will swear to place our Constitution above their religion, then of course they will be considered infidels and heretics, but at least I would then be quite willing to support them," Carson said.
Also on Monday, Republican frontrunner Donald Trump—who, like Carson, also rejected the idea of Muslim US president—clarified his view, saying he could support a Muslim president "if properly vetted – the proper people properly vetted – going through an election."
"I think that anybody that is able to win an election will be absolutely fine," he added.
Earlier, the largest Muslim civil liberties advocacy group in the US called on Carson to withdraw from the Republican presidential race after he commented that an individual who subscribes to the Islamic faith should never be elected as America's leader.
Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), called out Carson for his recent remarks, which the Muslim rights advocate said were "un-American."
"Mr. Carson clearly does not understand or care about the Constitution, which states that 'no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office,'" Awad said in a statement.
"We call on our nation's political leaders—across the political spectrum—to repudiate these unconstitutional and un-American statements and for Mr. Carson to withdraw from the presidential race," he added.
The CAIR also criticised Trump for not silencing a supporter who asked him how he plans to combat terrorist training camps in the United States.
CAIR Government Affairs Manager, Robert McCaw, said Trump's actions "sent the message that Islamophobia is acceptable."
Last January, the Muslim rights group already issued an open letter to potential Republican presidential candidates urging them to reject Islamophobia and to reach out to American Muslim voters.
Scott Walker drops out of Republican race
In a related news, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker announced Monday that he is already dropping out of the Republican presidential race.
He also encouraged other Republican candidates to do the same so that the voters can focus on a limited number of candidates who can offer a positive, conservative alternative to the current front-runner," apparently referring to Trump.
