Rick Perry Has Good Ties With Muslims

Tuesday, 16 Aug 2011 11:30 AM
By Husna Haq, Christian Science Monitor Correspondent

In a GOP field crowded with presidential hopefuls questioning Muslims’ loyalty and promising to crack down on Muslim religious sharia law in America, Texas Gov. Rick Perry enters the race with a distinguishing calling card: a historically good relationship with Muslims in his state.

Whether Governor Perry, as a presidential candidate, will continue courting Muslims — and whether that is a liability for Perry in the current Islam-leery climate — remains to be seen.

An evangelical Christian and self-described social conservative who recently led a Christian prayer rally in Texas, Perry has had a surprisingly warm relationship with Muslims as governor, says Mohamed Elbiary, founder of the Freedom and Justice Foundation, a Muslim public policy organization in Texas.

“We’ve seen him for 20 years at state level, as lieutenant governor and state governor,â€