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| Farouk Shami, in white, with Donald Trump, centre,) on the TV show Celebrity Apprentice [Photo courtesy of Farouk Shami] |
Palestinian American Farouk Shami is an associate who says Donald Trump would make a "great president".
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump may have angered many Muslims when he said that he would ban Muslim immigration to the United States, but a close Muslim business associate, Palestinian American Farouk Shami, says he suspects Trump would moderate his views if he were to become president.
Shami emigrated to the US from a village near Ramallah, Palestine, with only $71 in his pocket in 1965, and went on to build one of the nation's largest manufacturers of haircare products, Farouk Systems. His products have been featured on Trump's television shows and Shami says that he first met the property mogul when he sponsored Miss Teen USA, Miss USA and Miss Universe in 2003.
But, last year, Farouk withdrew sponsorship of Trump's Miss Universe pageants and Celebrity Apprentice over the candidate's comments about Mexican immigrants.
Now, however, he says he hopes to reconnect with Trump.
"As Trump becomes the Republican candidate, I plan to connect with him and donate to his campaign and try to get him Muslim votes," Shami told Al Jazeera.
"If we do that, he will be open for us and soften his talks about immigrants and Muslims."
But, last year, Farouk withdrew sponsorship of Trump's Miss Universe pageants and Celebrity Apprentice over the candidate's comments about Mexican immigrants.
Now, however, he says he hopes to reconnect with Trump.
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