Muslim database comments: Hillary, Republican rivals blast Trump

Real estate mogul had said he would register all US Muslims if voted president

WASHINGTON: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump drew rebukes from  Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton and two White House rivals from his own party on Friday for saying he would implement a database to keep track of Muslims in the United States in response to the attacks in Paris.

Trump, interviewed by NBC News after a campaign appearance in Iowa on Thursday night, was asked if there should be a database to monitor Muslims in the US.

"I would certainly implement that, absolutely," he said.

Hillary Clinton condemned Trump's comments on Twitter, writing: "This is shocking rhetoric. It should be denounced by all seeking to lead this country."

Trump’s fellow Republican candidate Jeb Bush, who has been denounced for suggesting Christian refugees should be prioritised over Muslims, joined Clinton in criticising Trump for his remarks.

"You talk about internment, you talk about closing mosques, you talk about registering people, and that's just wrong," Bush told CNBC on Friday. "That's not strength, that's weakness."

Republican rival John Kasich, meanwhile, said the proposal proved the real estate mogul was not worthy of the White House.

"The idea that someone would have to register with the federal government because of their religion strikes against all that we have believed in our nation's history," he said. 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 21^st, 2015.