As we move forward as a nation, it is critical that we strive towards unity and understanding and overcome division and religious intolerance. We must recognize that our differences can make us stronger, not weaker, if we appreciate them and utilize them in a constructive manner.
The five key principles of American democracy include the worth of the individual, equality of all persons, majority rule with respect for minority rights, the necessity of compromise and citizen participation. We must uphold these values and reject the injection of religious issues into our public discourse, especially in regards to political candidates.
When John F. Kennedy ran for the presidency in 1960, he was attacked for being a Catholic, as if he would be more loyal to the Pope than to serving the American people. His religion was initially a serious detriment, particularly in West Virginia. However, the day after winning the primary, Kennedy stated that the religious issue “was buried here in the soil of West Virginia.â€
Zohran Mamdani, a New York assemblyman, is running for mayor of New York. Because he is a Muslim, he is being attacked for his faith, generating much Islamophobic and racist content from prominent Republicans and wealthy Democrats. They use fear mongering about his economic policies as well as questioning his U.S. citizenship.
Mamdani’s campaign has highlighted the challenges Muslim and other minority candidates face in today’s political environment. History should not be repeating itself, especially 60 years after Kennedy overcame the religious issue.
Before John F. Kennedy won the West Virginia primary in May 1960, he told The Washington Post, “What, then, is the so-called religious issue in American politics today? It is not, it seems to me, my actual religious convictions – but a misunderstanding of what those religious convictions are.†In September, he addressed the Greater Houston Ministerial Association in Houston and stated, “I am not the Catholic candidate for president, I am the Democratic Party’s candidate for president who happens to be Catholic.â€
Likewise, Mamdani’s supporters see him not as a Muslim candidate for mayor, but as a candidate who happens to be Muslim.
Religion must not be used to justify discrimination or division. We must recognize that the right to worship as one chooses is inviolate. Our oaths of trust and allegiance to serve in public office are not tied to any particular creed or denomination.
If we fail to accept this challenge, we will allow religious mistrust to impede the larger objective that our Founding Fathers have destined for this nation. We will be denying ourselves and our fellow citizens the talents of noble and devoted public servants; and we will be failing to lead our nation to the heights of human dignity.
The role of good leaders, whatever their religion, is crucial in our continuing struggle to fulfill the American promise of equal opportunity for all. We must continue to push for policies and practices that promote fairness, justice and equality.
This is the time for us to fulfill the promise of the Declaration of the Independence and uphold the U.S. Constitution. Article VI, of the U.S. Constitution states, “No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust.†The Constitution protects the less politically powerful faiths against discrimination. We must make the U.S. Constitution a living reality in all parts of our public life, especially accepting those with a different religion than the one we practice.
Many historians feel that Kennedy was a politically astute president who accomplished a great deal in the short time he was President. It would be a shame to deny Zohran Mamdani the political office he is seeking based solely on his religion. He could show the rest of the country a functioning government that the founding fathers envisioned.
Hopefully, before Nov. 4 many New Yorkers will agree with the statement that presidential candidate John F. Kennedy made 65 years ago, that the religious issue was, “buried here in the soil of West Virginia."
Wes Holden is a retired federal employee living in Sissonville.
