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Groups Condemn Congressman's Criticism of Muslim Colleague

By Howard M. Friedman

Leaders of three national religious groups on Wednesday wrote Florida U.S. House of Representatives member Allen West calling on him to apologize for saying, on a television interview show, that Minnesota U.S. House of Representatives member Kieth Ellison, a Muslim, is the "antithesis of the principles on which this country was established." Yesterday's Florida Independent, carries excerpts from the letter sent by the heads of the Interfaith Alliance, the Rabbinical Assembly, the Religion Action Center for Reform Judaism and the Baptist Joint Committee. They told West that his comments display "a frightening lack of understanding" of the values of Islam. West immediately responded by letter, saying: "My comments in regards to my colleague, Representative Keith Ellison, are not about his Islamic faith, but about his continued support of CAIR," an organization which West claims supports the radical jihadist movement.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on February 04, 2011 (boomark / email).