Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), the only Muslim in Congress, spoke today at Rep. Peter King's (R-NY) Congressional hearings on "radical Islam".
Republicans like King, who is personally channeling old Joe McCarthy, don't want to hear this. They don't want to be told that Muslim-Americans are real Americans. They want to believe that an entire group walks in the footsteps of Al Qaeda. They believe that radical Christians are "crazed individuals" acting alone and not worthy of a congressional hearing.
King is not helping this country by painting all Muslims with the same brush as the terrorists. It's just not true. No more than it's true that all Christians are gay-bashing, muslim-hating, gun-toting Republicans. Radical elements of any faith get more press. In the case of Christians, the radical right wing of the faith seemingly dictates the dialog in the country. They no more represent a majority of Christians than radical Islamists do for their faith.
Let us remember Mohammed Salman Hamdani as a shining example of a true American and a true hero. Let his sacrifice be a reminder that Muslim-Americans deserve our respect and not our suspicion.
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