(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (pictured) at a Thursday press conference made strong comments in defense of his appointment of a Muslim American to a state judgeship.
Conservative critics have been hounding Christie for his appointment of Sohail Mohammed, accusing Mohammed for his alleged ties to Islamic extremist groups. Mohammed, 47, was sworn in July 26 as a Superior Court judge in Passaic County. Immediately afterwards, political columnists and bloggers began accusing Mohammed of having links to terrorism and said he'll be more likely to follow Shariah law, religious standards based on the Qur'an, instead of state or federal statutes.
Governor Christie thinks such accusations are "just crazy".
"Sharia law has nothing to do with this at all. It's crazy. It's crazy. The guy's an American citizen who has been an admitted lawyer to practice in the state of New Jersey, swearing an oath to uphold the laws of New Jersey, the constitution of the state of New Jersey, and the Constitution of the United States of America," Christie said.
Christie, whose candid remarks have generated controversy over the last few months, also said, "It's just unnecessary to be accusing this guy of things just because of his religious background. This Sharia law business is crap. It.s just crazy. And I'm tired of dealing with the crazies."
Mohammed is the second Muslim superior court judge in New Jersey, according to Christie. The first, Hany Mawla, was nominated by Christie's predecessor, Democrat Jon Corzine. He took the bench on 27 January 2010, in Somerset County.
However, Muhammed has distinguished himself for defending other Muslims wrongly detained by the American government after September 11, 2001. This is the real reason why he has invoked the ire of the extreme right.
None of the people Mohammed represented was charged with crimes of terrorism, and all were released because of his representation, Christie said. Many people were inappropriately detained by the FBI after the September 11 attacks, and it posed a difficult time for law enforcement, Christie said.
Critics of Sohail Mohammed raise issue with his membership on the board of the American Muslim Union (AMU) and his ties to Mohammed Qatanani, an AMU member. The AMU and Mohammed Qatanani, critics argue, have ties to Islamic extremists. Christie, on the other hand, has also been a supporter of Qatanani, taking the view that he is not an extremist.
Christie, a first-term Republican and former U.S. attorney, has received a divided reception from his own party for his appointment of Mohammed.
For instance, Commentary Magazine, a conservative publication, has expressed competing views on Christie's defense of Sohail Mohammed. Peter Wehner, senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, praised Christie for his remarks.
"One of the troubling tendencies that has recently arisen among conservatism is an unfair animus toward Muslim Americans. ... Thankfully, this anti-Muslim strain isn't dominant within conservatism. But what is discouraging is how few GOP lawmakers and conservative voices have been willing to confront it. Which is why I'm grateful New Jersey Governor Chris Christie spoke out in defense of his appointment of Sohail Mohammed to a state bench. ... It's one thing, and a laudable thing, not to participate in this ugliness. But it's another thing, and a far more admirable thing, to stand against it. My former boss, President Bush, did this in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. And now, thankfully, Governor Chris Christie has as well," Wehner wrote.
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