CNN to Muslim Congressman: Prove You're Not a Terrorist

Congressman-elect Keith Ellison (D-MN) hasn't had the easiest road to public office. Being the very first muslim member of Congress in US history, he's had the privelige of enduring a hatchet job from Newsweek, as well as having to endure the oft cited vitriol of professional internet troll and conservative David Horowitz. But defying the odds, he won Minnesota's fifth district by a massive margin (beating out the next highest ranking candidate by over 30% of the vote) and is now set to change history. But he'll have to get over a few more stumbling blocks along the way, including some absolutely outrageous comments from CNN talk show host Glenn Beck, who decided to ask him to "prove he's not working with our enemies."

BECK: History was made last Tuesday when Democrat Keith Ellison got elected to Congress, representing the great state of Minnesota. Well, not really unusual that Minnesota would elect a Democrat. What is noteworthy is that Keith is the first Muslim in history to be elected to the House of Representatives. He joins us now.

Congratulations, sir.

ELLISON: How you doing, Glenn? Glad to be here.

BECK: Thank you. I will tell you, may I -- may we have five minutes here where we're just politically incorrect and I play the cards face up on the table?

ELLISON: Go there.

BECK: OK. No offense, and I know Muslims. I like Muslims. I've been to mosques. I really don't believe that Islam is a religion of evil. I -- you know, I think it's being hijacked, quite frankly.

With that being said, you are a Democrat. You are saying, "Let's cut and run." And I have to tell you, I have been nervous about this interview with you, because what I feel like saying is, "Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies." (emphasis added)

And I know you're not. I'm not accusing you of being an enemy, but that's the way I feel, and I think a lot of Americans will feel that way.

ELLISON: Well, let me tell you, the people of the Fifth Congressional District know that I have a deep love and affection for my country. There's no one who is more patriotic than I am. And so, you know, I don't need to -- need to prove my patriotic stripes.
The man just got elected to Congress for Christ's sake, and he's already being questioned by conservative media hosts about his patriotism? It's hard to tell whether Beck is incredibly malicious or just woefully ignorant. There are currently several million Muslims (the exact number is hard to pin down) currently living in the United States, and well over a billion worldwide. Does that mean that they're all "our enemies" (including the ones currently living in the US?) That every single one should be subject to the ridiculous suspicions of people like Beck? This man is a piece of filth, he's a good indication of how racism and bias are still happily residing in the US, they've just managed to go far enough beneath the surface that it can take a little jostling before they're in plain view.

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