Trump's 'Mohammad' remark at Georgia rally draws sharp condemnation from Muslim groups

A remark by US President Donald Trump has set off a fresh controversy. An election rally was held in a hangar at Dalton Municipal Airport in Georgia. Speaking there, Trump made a sarcastic comment on the name "Mohammad", which holds a place of great respect among Muslims. Muslim organisations, human rights activists and political opponents in the US have since begun criticising him in strong terms.

Addressing the gathering, Trump said, "If you do not know the name of a man from the Middle East, or have doubts about it, you can simply call him 'Mohammad'. The chances of the name being right are about 65 per cent." He also said he had been doing this for many years and had never been wrong.

Out of deep reverence for the Prophet Mohammad, many Muslim families name their sons Mohammad. Trump is now accused of showing disrespect to this religious and cultural significance.

In the speech, Trump also spoke about tensions in the Middle East and the political situation in Iran. He said Iran is the only country in the world where nobody wants to be president any more. He then acted out asking some imaginary people named "Mohammad" from the stage whether they would contest Iran's presidential election. He was trying to make people laugh, but the rally crowd did not respond much and a silence fell.

Iran's current president is Masoud Pezeshkian. Trump's remarks came when the political climate in the US was already heated. In the thick of the campaign, Trump also took a hard line on Iran's nuclear programme. He repeated that Iran would not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons under any circumstances. The US and Israel have earlier taken several military and policy steps to curb Iran's nuclear projects.

Civil rights and Muslim organisations in the US have taken an aggressive stand after Trump's remarks. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim human rights organisation in the US, strongly condemned the statement. The groups allege that religious and ethnic minorities are being targeted for political gain and to divide voters.

According to human rights activists, Trump has repeatedly spread negative stereotypes about Somali-Americans and the Muslim community at large during the campaign. Citing CAIR's annual report, experts said incidents of Islamophobia have risen in the US recently. Controversial speeches, action against migrants and political rhetoric are being blamed for this. Trump's latest remark has spread unease among migrants and Muslims in the US.