DALTON : US President Donald Trump has drawn criticism after joking about the popularity of the name Mohammad among Muslims during a political rally in Georgia on Friday.
While discussing Iran, Trump remarked that it was easy to guess the name of someone from the Middle East by simply calling them “Mohammad”.
Mohammad is one of the most common male names among Muslims and is traditionally given in honour of Prophet Muhammad.
Trump continued the joke by pretending to ask several individuals named Mohammad whether they wanted to become Iran’s president, while making sarcastic remarks about the position.
Iran has been led by President Masoud Pezeshkian since 2024.
The remarks received a lukewarm response from the audience at the campaign event held at Dalton Municipal Airport, ahead of the US midterm elections scheduled for November 3.
Human rights groups and Muslim advocacy organisations have repeatedly criticised Trump over statements they say disparage Muslims, immigrants and ethnic minorities.
During the same speech, Trump reiterated his position that Iran would not be allowed to possess nuclear weapons. His remarks came months after the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran, partly aimed at undermining Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Meanwhile, an annual report published earlier this year by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) linked rising anti-Muslim sentiment in the United States to immigration policies and the Trump administration’s actions against pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
-AWANI
