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The New York Times article “Congressman Criticizes Election of Muslim” (Swarns 2006) reported on the criticism made by Virginia’s Republican Congressman Virgil L. Goode Jr. on the latest election of Minnesota Representative Keith Ellison.

According to Rep. Goode Jr., the election of Keith, a Democrat as well as the first-ever Muslim to take a seat in the United States Our elected representatives, is a grave threat to traditional American values. Goode’s warning, a part of a letter addressed to his Va constituents old Dec. 5, 2006, asked Americans to “wake up” or face the likelihood of even more Muslim selected officials that will demand “use of the Koran”.

He also called for the adoption of stringent immigration policies as being a step for the preservation both of this country’s beliefs and values and resources. Ellison, a former felony lawyer and a come to be Islam, has planned to use the Muslim bible in January during his private swearing-in. Goode’s comments elicited criticisms of bigotry and intolerance from some Democrats in Congress and from Muslim People in america as they remarked that the official imprecationexecration in of officials, as opposed to private execration in, do not use religious text messaging. For his part, Ellison pointed out that he could be no zugezogener, saying that he is an African-American whose roots goes “back to 1742”. He as well said he is a politician and not a religious scholar so that Goode offers “nothing to fear”.

This article of the New york city Times offered a rather reasonable coverage mainly because it observed the journalistic regular of presenting both sides of the issue. The content gave space to equally Goode’s and Ellison’s transactions and counter-statements, attempting to do this from an objective viewpoint. Concerning the issue of Islam or getting Muslim represented by the tale itself, you will discover obviously two conflicting factors, two other viewpoints. The medial side of Representative. Goode adopts the position that Islam in the area, or at least the practices of Islam (as the use of Koran, instead of the Christian Bible in swearing-in), creates a considerable danger to traditional American lifestyle. He also insinuated that Muslims, as well as other immigrants, really are a burden to the United States. On the other, the insurance coverage of Ellison and his sympathizers show that Muslim Americans, who could possibly be good people, are meet in this nation.

U. T.

Congressman Criticizes Election of Muslim

Simply by RACHEL L. SWARNS

Posted: December twenty one, 2006

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 ” Within a letter sent to hundreds of arrêters this month, Consultant Virgil L. Goode Junior., Republican of Virginia, aware that the recent election of the first Muslim to Our elected representatives posed a serious threat for the nation’s classic values.

By pass to following paragraph

Representative Virgil H. Goode Jr., left, explained Keith Ellison’s decision to utilize a Koran within a private execration in for your house of Representatives was a oversight.

Mr. Goode was mentioning Keith Ellison, the Mn Democrat and criminal defense lawyer who converted to Islam as a college student and was elected for the House in November. Mr. Ellison’s intend to use the Koran during his private swearing-in ceremony in January had outraged a lot of Virginia voters, prompting Mr. Goode to issue a written respond to them, a spokesman pertaining to Mr. Goode said.

In the letter, which was dated Dec. 5, Mister. Goode said that Americans necessary to “wake up or else there would “likely be more Muslims chosen to workplace and strenuous the use of the Koran. 

“I fear that in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States whenever we do not adopt the strict immigration policies that I consider are necessary aid the values and values traditional towards the United States of America and to prevent our resources coming from being overloaded,  stated Mr. Goode, who promised to use the Bible when ever taking his own oath of office.

Mr. Goode declined Wednesday to comment on his page, which quickly stirred a furor amongst some Congressional Democrats and Muslim Us citizens, who falsely accused him of bigotry and intolerance.

They noted the fact that Constitution particularly bars any religious testing of associates of Congress and that the actual swearing in of those lawmakers occurs without any religious text messaging. The use of the Holy book or Heiliges buch des islam occurs only in private ceremonial events that come about after lawmakers have officially sworn to uphold the Constitution.

Mr. Ellison ignored Mr. Goode’s comments, declaring they appeared ill informed about his personal origins along with about Constitutional protections of spiritual freedom. “I’m not an zuzügler,  added Mr. Ellison, who footprints his American ancestors to 1742. “I’m an African-American. 

Considering that the November selection, Mr. Ellison said, he has received inhospitable phone calls and e-mail communications along with a death hazards. But in a job interview on Wednesday, he highlighted that people of Our elected representatives and normal citizens have been overwhelmingly supporting and explained he was concentrating on setting up his Congressional office, getting mobile phone lines connected and workers hired, not on negative comments.

“I’m not a religious scholar, I’m a politician, and I carry out what political figures do, which is hopefully move legislation to help the nation,  said Mister. Ellison, who said he planned to focus on secular issues like elevating the federal minimum income and getting medical insurance for the uninsured.

“I’m looking forward to making friends with Consultant Goode, at least getting to know him,  Mr. Ellison explained, speaking by simply telephone coming from Minneapolis. “I want to let him be aware that there’s nothing to show concern. The fact that we now have many different faiths, many different shades and many different cultures in the usa is a great power. 

In Washington, Brendan Daly, a spokesman for the newly arriving House loudspeaker, Nancy Pelosi of California, called Mister. Goode’s notice “offensive.  Corey Saylor, legislative director for the Council upon American-Islamic Contact, criticized what he described as Mr. Goode’s “message of intolerance. 

Representative Expenses Pascrell Jr., Democrat of recent Jersey, urged Mr. Goode to reach out to Muslims in Virginia and learn “to dispel misconceptions instead of promoting these people. 

“Keith Ellison serves as a great example of Muslim People in the usa in our country, and this individual does not have to answer to you, to me or perhaps anyone else in regards to questions about his hope,  said Mr. Pascrell, whose area includes various Arab-Americans.

The fracas above Mr. Ellison’s decision to work with the Koran during his personal swearing-in wedding ceremony began last month when Dennis Prager, a conservative writer and a radio station host, condemned the decision as one that would challenge American civilization.

“Ellison’s doing this will embolden Islamic extremists and generate new ones, as Islamists, rightly or perhaps wrongly, begin to see the first sign of the conclusion of their greatest goal ” the Islamicization of America,  stated Mr. Prager, who stated the Bible was the just relevant spiritual text in the usa.

“If you are not capable of taking a great oath on that book, don’t serve in Congress,  Mr. Prager stated.

In his notification, Mr. Goode echoed that view, saying that he did not “subscribe to using the Koran in any way.  He also called as for ending illegal migrants and lowering legal migration.

Linwood Duncan, a public spookesperson for Mr. Goode, explained the Virginia lawmaker acquired no objective of backing down, despite the furor.

“He stands by letter,  Mr. Duncan said. “He has no intention of apologizing. 

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