Pawlenty's Sharia Compliant Housing Plan

Tim Pawlenty has characterized Michele Bachmann's record of congressional accomplishments as "nonexistent" which might be a surd adjective for Pawlenty's record as a conservative. In yesterday's post we documented with a video Bachmann opposition to the TARP bailout. While her flamboyant rhetoric has at times gotten her in trouble her principles have remained consistent since she caught the publics' attention in the dark days of 2008. Pawlenty's flirtation with sharia compliant housing schemes came to light in the video below. Sharia law regarding interest is essentially the same as the medieval church's prohibition. (The topic of interest has always been contentious. It is mentioned the Book of Deuteronomy, the Code of Hammurabi, and the Twelve Tables of Rome.) If one is prohibited from paying interest one must save the entire purchase price of the home before one can become a homeowner. But if that is what one believes then it is a question of conscience. The Amish for years have forgone automobiles, dishwashers and televisions and no politician has wrung his hands in pity. In Minnesota Tim Pawlenty tried to engage the state to purchase housing for Muslims and essentially sell homes on contract to but to Muslims only.

The principle of separation of church is only relevant when Christians appear to cross the line. Pawlenty and friends saw nothing wrong with the state helping Muslims live up to their religion. Quoting from the left leaning The American Prospect:

In 2004, then-Gov. Pawlenty urged the Minnesota Housing Financing Agency to partner with local groups and businesses in an effort to increase minority home ownership in the state. That partnership became the Emerging Markets Homeowners Initiative. At the time, Minnesota’s minority home ownership rate of 42 percent was slightly behind the national average, and part of the reason was that Minnesota’s relatively large Muslim population was unable to purchase homes. The MHFA decided to partner with a local group, the African Development Center, in “developing culturally sensitive products,” that would allow Muslims to enter the market. According to MHFA spokesperson Megan Ryan, the effort fizzled, in part because the ADC wasn’t able to find interested home buyers. “I don’t know if it was that point in the economy,” Ryan said. “for whatever reason the program never took off.”

Pawlenty’s effort to increase minority home ownership by encouraging companies to offer Sharia-compliant mortgages was entirely in keeping with his reputation as a “Sam’s Club Republican” concerned with helping “regular people.” But in the 2012 race, he’ll be up against competitors who may try to use it against him.

If they won't use it against him we will and in future posts we will look at Pawlenty's green energy boondoggles.