Posted on 12/21/2006 4:29:10 AM PST by radar101
A Muslim group is asking Virginia Republican Rep. Virgil Goode Jr. to apologize after he told hundreds of his constituents that more Muslims will follow Rep.-elect Keith Ellison, D-Minn., to Congress if strict immigration laws aren't passed.
"The Muslim representative from Minnesota was elected by the voters of that district and if American citizens don't wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran," Goode wrote.
The letter was written to constituents who contacted Goode after Ellison said he planned to bring his Quran, the Muslim holy book.
Goode, an attorney and former state senator who was first elected to Congress in 1996, said he wants to "stop illegal immigration totally and reduce legal immigration and end the diversity visas policy pushed hard by President Clinton and allowing many persons from the Middle East to come to this country."
Corey Saylor, national legislative director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said Goode's "Islamophobic remarks send a message of intolerance that is unworthy of anyone elected to public office."
CAIR officials noted that Ellison traces his family roots in the United States back to 1742.
"There can be no reasonable defense for such bigotry," Saylor said, adding that Goode should apologize.
Linwood Duncan, Goode's press secretary, said Goode sent the letter to hundreds of constituents who contacted his office after Ellison disclosed his plans. About the same time, the head of the local Sierra Club contacted Goode about a different issue, and the letter was accidentally sent to him in response. The Sierra Club official gave a copy of the letter to a reporter.
"The congressman is not apologizing," Duncan said. "He stands by the letter."
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
Yeah....right.......we'll apologize after THEY apologize for........................
Screw it. Never mind.
Carolyn
They're just trying to play the old slave card without saying it directly. (Gee, have Muslims had ANYTHING to do with selling people as SLAVES?)
Catchy, toe-tapping new song from the composer of "It's In The Koran"
FRmail me to be added or removed from this Judaic/pro-Israel/Russian Jewry ping list.
Warning! This is a high-volume ping list.
Hey Muslims,here's two more letters for ya..
F U
I think he said what has been needed to be said and I hope he sticks by it.
I don't know about you, but I am getting real, real sick of CAIR.
We have a Statesman. Finally.
What has the muslim community contributed to society over the last 100 years other than death and destruction?
ping...
"The congressman is not apologizing," Duncan said. "He stands by the letter."
He has nothing to apologize for.
I appreciate the fervor of fighting illegal immigration, but going after a man whose family has been here for hundreds of years by attacking his religion and suggesting it has something to do with illegal immigration is stupid.
It rightly adds to the perception that the conservative opposition to illegal immigration is not based on common-sense conservative principles, but simple racism.
He should apologize.
The worst part is, he is right about illegal immigration, he is right about multiculturalism hurting our country, and he is right that using the Koran for the swearing-in ceremony (even in it's "ceremonial" capacity) would be wrong.
But he took three things he was right about, and tied them together in a way that smacks of simple hatred for a religion.
It's hard not to interpret what he said as being "we don't want any muslims around here". And while I think that religion is a false religion, in our country we all have a right to choose our religion, even scientology, and having done so, to still have representation in our democracy.
We are NOT going to eliminate the muslim faith from the world. At best it will lose it's jihadist fervor and become a benign if misguided belief system. That's why we are spending our lives and money to install a democracy in the middle east, to convert them to capitalism, free choice, and give them something to LIVE for, in the hopes it will moderate their religion.
BTW, I don't agree completely with Virgil on his immigration plans, he wants to greatly curtail legal immigration, while I want to INCREASE legal immigration in exchange for completely shutting down illegal immigration. But we can debate that issue without making it a "if you fear those muslims, vote against immigration" argument.
Especially since we have so many muslim citizens in this country already. And they are now voting mostly democrat.
He has nothing to apologize for.
No more than the Pope did.
Rep. Goode (on RIGHT)
I don't know about you, but I am getting real, real sick of CAIR.
I believe that feeling is held by most of those in Free Republic.
CAIR can kiss my country ham and red-eye gravy!
ping
"NO" & I mean "NO" apologies. Enough of the PC crap letting the Muslims take over the United States.
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