Calls are growing for Republican Ben Carson to quit the 2016 race after he said a Muslim should not be president.
Muslim-American groups, among others, have said these views make him unqualified to run himself.
Mr Carson, a Christian, made the comments on Sunday, adding that Islam was inconsistent with the Constitution.
Another
Republican presidential candidate, Bobby Jindal, said on Monday a
Muslim president should swear on a Bible to uphold the Constitution.
He
said a Muslim Republican who fought to protect religious liberty,
respected the Judeo-Christian heritage of the US and was committed to
destroying Islamic State and radical Islam, and condemned cultures that
treated women as second class citizens would get his vote.
But they must "place their hand on the Bible and swear to uphold the Constitution", he added.
The
Republican candidates for president are being asked about their views
on Islam since Donald Trump failed last week to correct a supporter who
said President Barack Obama was a Muslim.
Mr Trump, the Republican frontrunner, has since said he would have no problem appointing a Muslim to his cabinet.
Image copyrightAPImage caption
Worshippers mark the end of Ramadan in New York
But
in an interview with NBC's Meet the Press, Mr Carson said the
president's faith matters if it differs with the values of America.
"I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation," he said.
He elaborated later when he told The Hill:
"Muslims feel that their religion is very much a part of your public
life and what you do as a public official, and that's inconsistent with
our principles and our Constitution."
Analysis - Jon Sopel, BBC North America editor
I
don't know whether Dr Carson's words will bolster his position among
the base after a somewhat lacklustre performance in the Republican
debate last week at the Ronald Reagan Library - but what about the
feelings of the three million Muslims who live in America?
How is
it going to feel to have a serious political figure, someone who
aspires to lead this nation, essentially saying being Muslim is
un-American?
These people who day in, day out serve their
communities, support their families, enrich the lives of fellow citizens
and make America the successful melting pot that it is.
Media captionBen Carson: "I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation"
Democrats
immediately denounced his remarks and Muslim groups called on Mr
Carson, a neurosurgeon who is riding high in the polls among Republican
voters, to quit the race.
"To me this really means he is not
qualified to be president of the United States," said Ibrahim Hooper,
spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
He noted that the US Constitution specifically does not require the president to have a certain religion.
Farhana Khera of Muslim Advocates said the "religious bigotry" was heard when JFK was hoping to be the first Catholic president.
And Haroon Moghul, a leading commentator on Islam, told CNN: "I think Carson's comments mean he should get out of the race".
One
of the latest polls, run by CNN/ORC, shows Mr Carson has slipped into
third place in the Republican race, trailing former Hewlett-Packard
chief Carly Fiorina and Mr Trump, who has consistently remained ahead of
the pack.
Senior Republicans had said after the 2012 election
that if the party did not become more inclusive, it would continue to
push away young voters.
Should a Muslim be US president?
YES
Hillary Clinton: "In a word: Yes. Now let's move on," the former secretary of state said on Twitter.
Ted Cruz: "The Constitution specifies there shall be no
religious test for public office and I am a constitutionalist," the
Texas senator told an Iowa public television station.
Lindsey Graham: "I think Dr Carson needs to apologise," the South Carolina senator told Fox News.
Mike Huckabee: "I don't think we ought to just
disqualify from somebody because of his or her faith," the former
Arkansas governor told Fox Business Network.
John Kasich: "The most important thing about being
president is you have leadership skills, you know what you're doing, and
you can help fix this country and raise this country," the Ohio
governor said on NBC's Meet the Press.
Rand Paul: "I try to see that as a separate thing,
someone's religion. I just think it's hard for us. We were attacked by
people who were all Muslim," the Kentucky senator told CBS News.
Bernie Sanders: "People should be elected to office
based on their ideas, not their religion or the colour of their skin,"
the Vermont senator said in a statement.
Donald Trump: "Some people have said it already happened, frankly," the real estate mogul said on NBC's Meet the Press.
MAYBE
Bobby Jindal: "If you can find me a Muslim candidate...
who will place their hand on the Bible and swear to uphold the
Constitution, then yes, I will be happy to consider voting for him or
her," the Louisiana governor said in a statement.
NO
Ben Carson: "I would not advocate that we put a Muslim
in charge of this nation. I absolutely would not agree with that," the
retired neurosurgeon said.
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