The October issue of Carolina Muslims is missing one article that we had hoped to bring to you.
We reached out to all three candidates of the Senate race for North Carolina to ask them specific questions that we felt were keyed to Muslim-American concerns.
Neither Kay Hagan nor Thom Tillis responded even after dozens of email requests, phone calls to offices and campaign headquarters and weeks of waiting.
Sean Haugh, Libertarian for US Senate, on the other hand, responded in only a few days with complete answers.
We chose not to run the article in the magazine since not all views would be shown, however we will provide you with all of Sean Haugh’s answers to our questions on behalf of the Muslim community both here and via our website.
Please share this message so that other Muslims in NC can hear from the only candidate that actually took time to talk to his prospective Muslim constituents in North Carolina.
Carolina Muslims: The sociopolitical atmosphere has become very hostile toward Muslim-Americans, how would you include the Muslim-American voice in the political dialog of this nation?
Sean Haugh: Religious freedom is bedrock stuff in our system of government. As a candidate, I see myself as more of an advocate than legislator. We simply are not going to solve any problems or move forward together as a nation as long as we continue culture war. It is vital that we accept Muslim-Americans as being just as American as any other American. My conduct on the campaign trail and in office will reflect that value. The one practical thing I can do in Congress to scale back the prejudice against Muslim-Americans is to stop our wars in Muslim countries and against Muslim peoples.
Carolina Muslims: What steps would you take to bring about an end to the seemingly unending state of war?
Sean Haugh: My single issue is to #StopAllWar. Our interventionist policies only create greater, more determined enemies. Besides immediately ending direct warfare and drone warfare, we must stop all military aid to all governments and quasi-governmental entities, including Israel. Washington and Jefferson said it best when they counseled us to engage in free trade with all and entangling alliances with none. Following their advice, we can quickly restore America’s international reputation as a beacon of freedom and prosperity rather than an oppressive occupying empire.
Carolina Muslims: With the current economy, cuts must be made in order to balance the federal budget and many have said that our excess spending in foreign aid is a problem. Perhaps the largest is $8.5 Million per day in aid to the fully industrialized and economically stable state of Israel. Once this expense is cut, what would you do with these funds to stimulate the economy?
Sean Haugh: As a Libertarian, I want to vastly reduce the size and scope of government, so any savings we could realize by ending war spending and military aid should be used to balance the budget and be returned to the taxpayers. When people are allowed to keep all the money they earn, they make far more intelligent and efficient economic decisions than the federal government possibly could.
Carolina Muslims: Shariah law is a code of conduct and rules of living that instruct Muslims on everything from marriage and business to methods of practicing the religion and how to conduct legal matters. Therefore, anti-Shariah laws that have been passed in states across this country are de-facto anti-Islam laws which in effect prohibit the free exercise of the religion. How would you work to preserve religious freedom and prevent anti-Shariah laws at the Federal Level?
Sean Haugh: I agree that “anti-Shariah” laws are simply thinly veiled racism, and are completely ignorant of the role of this law in the daily lives of Muslims. The main thing I can and would do as a Senator is to get the government out of these questions entirely. So much of religious oppression in the United States comes from trying to force everyone into a one-size-fits-all solution to every aspect of daily life. By returning to Constitutional principles and getting the federal government out of areas which should be left for the states and the people, we can again create the public and private spaces for people to follow their own faith while fully engaging in all aspects of society and culture.
For more information on Sean Haugh, visit his website at: https://seanhaugh.nationbuilder.com/
Sean asked that we share this video which enumerates many of his positions:
Follow Sean Haugh on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HaughForSenate
If you would like to compare Sean Haugh’s positions on the issues with those of his opponents, please visit the following websites:
Kay Hagan: http://northcarolina.kayhagan.com/
Thom Tillis: http://thomtillis.com/