Washington: US President Donald Trump joked about the prevalence of the name Mohammed in the Middle East while discussing Iran’s presidency, suggesting people could use the name if they were unsure what to call someone from the region.
Trump made the remarks at a campaign rally in Dalton, Georgia, on Friday, October 16, ahead of the November 3 US midterm elections.
“Iran is the only country where nobody wants to be president,” Trump said before pretending to ask people named Mohammed whether they wanted the position.
“Who wants to be [president of Iran]? Mohammed?” he asked, repeating the name several times before adding, “You know, if you’re in doubt about somebody’s name from the Middle East, just say, Mohammed.”
“You had about a 65 per cent chance. Hello, Mohammed,” Trump said, claiming he had used the approach for years and had never been wrong.
Trump then referred to Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic candidate for the US Senate from Michigan, while discussing a message he had received. He said the man’s name was “Abdul Albababababa Mohammed El-Sayed” and pointed out that Mohammed was his middle name.
“So his middle name is Mohammed. I was right,” Trump said.
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Mohammed, also spelt Mohammad or Muhammad, is a widely used name among Muslims, reflecting its religious significance as the name of Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam.
The remarks followed another rally appearance on October 10 in Clarksville, Tennessee, where Trump chanted “Praise be to Allah” while imitating what he portrayed as Iranian leaders making threats.
