Mansoor Ijaz has a piece at The Christian Science Monitor about Mitt Romney. Mansoor attended a fundraiser for Mitt and during the event he asked him if he would have any Muslims in his cabinet.

I asked Mr. Romney whether he would consider including qualified Americans of the Islamic faith in his cabinet as advisers on national security matters, given his position that "jihadism" is the principal foreign policy threat facing America today. He answered, "…based on the numbers of American Muslims [as a percentage] in our population, I cannot see that a cabinet position would be justified. But of course, I would imagine that Muslims could serve at lower levels of my administration."

This of course didn't sit well with Mansoor Ijaz, and his editorial at the Christian Science Monitor suggests as much.

Romney, whose Mormon faith has become the subject of heated debate in Republican caucuses, wants America to be blind to his religious beliefs and judge him on merit instead. Yet he seems to accept excluding Muslims because of their religion, claiming they're too much of a minority for a post in high-level policymaking. More ironic, that Islamic heritage is what qualifies them to best engage America's Arab and Muslim communities and to help deter Islamist threats.

I am an American-born citizen of the Islamic faith. I stand as a living symbol of all that America offers in its system of liberty, justice, and, most of all, opportunity. I am also proud of my Muslim heritage and beliefs, and, true to the American work ethic, I have worked tirelessly to raise up the voices of disaffected Muslims everywhere and help them, too, share in America's promise.

He goes on to list his very real and very impressive list of accomplishments. I'm in an interesting position on this issue, because unfortunately I agree with both of them.

I appreciate Romney's honesty and I think for the most part he's right not to have a Muslim in his cabinet. It may go against the traditions of America and our very noble goal of ending discrimination. However, I and many Americans like me have a deep distrust for Muslims in light of world events.

Monsoor Ijaz is a great American who has done more than most to make this country better. If I were to have a Muslim in my cabinet, Ijaz would certainly be that Muslim.

Unfortunately, most American Muslims aren't like Monsoor Ijaz. Or at least if they are, they certainly don't let anyone know it. The one area that Monsoor fails to address in his op-ed are the reasons why Mitt Romney feels the way he does. The suspicion that many feel towards Muslims right now in America is well justified.

Since 9/11, atrocities committed by Muslims in the name of Islam have continued around the world. Numerous plots to kill Americans have been foiled, but the silence coming from American Muslims is absolutely deafening.

I know that if people were blowing themselves up all over the world and knocking down buildings in the name of Jesus, I would be condemning those acts anywhere I possibly could.

I hear stories of Muslim clerics in America who condemn Al-Qaeda, but I can't recall actually seeing one or hearing him speak. I'm not saying that silence is a de facto endorsement of terrorism, but I am saying that it makes many Americans feel uncomfortable.

The situation in Britain is also very troubling. The recent bombings in London were carried out by British Muslims, who didn't think twice about massacring their fellow countrymen.

The failure to forcefully speak out against terrorism by American Muslims, has at least for the time being convinced me that Muslims cannot be completely trusted and should not hold powerful positions within our government.

-Chris Jones
The Hot Joints