Farouk Shami, the Houston hair care magnate running for governor, wants you to know that he is not a Muslim.

He also wants you to know that he is not a Quaker.

One more thing he wants you to know: The Texas media, possibly out of “something darker and racially motivated,” is engaging in a disservice to Texas Democrats by promoting a “media sideshow surrounding Shami's religious beliefs.”

The campaign Tuesday made those charges in a hyperbolic statement by Campaign Director Vince Leibowitz on “the onslaught of coverage relating to Farouk Shami's religion.”

You say you missed the onslaught?

That may be because it consisted of an article in the Austin American-Statesman and the citing of that article in a few political blogs, including one produced by the Houston Chronicle.

The confusion about Shami's religion was sown by the candidate himself and his campaign. In an early interview when he first was considering a race, Shami responded to a question about his religion by the Chronicle's R.G. Ratcliffe by saying he was someone of Muslim background.

Last November, according to the American-Statesman, Shami's then-campaign spokesman Jason Stanford said the candidate was a Quaker.

Leibowitz told the newspaper that was apparently a “miscommunication” based on the fact that Shami attended a Quaker school.

But Stanford said Shami told his former campaign manager, Joel Coon, that he was a Quaker. Coon confirmed that to the American-Statesman.

The paper also quoted Shami's son, Basim Shami of The Woodlands, as saying his father “is a Muslim.” But the son added, “We believe in all religions, to tell you the truth, but we were brought up as Muslims.”

And in December, the candidate told San Antonio's ABC Television affiliate: “My religion is American. . . . I'm a Muslim Quaker. Have you ever heard of that?”

You would think that effort to blow away all stereotypes would have settled the matter.

But now Shami is officially declaring something that may make winning an election even harder than winning as a Muslim or a Quaker.

He is “not a member of any specific religious tradition.”

He quickly professed a “strong personal relationship with God,” but he doesn't go to church.

I'm not sure Texas or America is ready for that.

In political campaigns, going to church is right up there with kissing babies and promising no new taxes.

An aide to then-U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm was once told to schedule attendance at a church service as part of a local campaign appearance.

When he asked which church, he was told whichever one has a televised service.

I've seen no evidence that finding out which church candidates belong to, or even whether they go to church, is useful in determining whether they will be good officeholders.

Our politicians seem to be at least as sinful as their electorate, with professions of religiosity just adding a layer of hypocrisy.

So I agree with the Shami campaign that the “economy, job creation, transportation, and the environment are all more worthy issues for discourse.”

So I can't wait for his television ads which, as reported by KHOU-TV, will have Shami promising to create 100,000 new jobs in two years or resign as governor and give the state $10 million.

Is that a platform, or a sideshow?

rick.casey@chron.com