Wednesday, July 11, 2007

First Congressional Muslim Compares 9/11 to Reichstag Fire

http://www.agoravox.com/article.php3?id_article=6418
Agoravox Citizen Media - 10 July 2007

Freshman Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN), the first Muslim elected to Congress and Minnesota’s first black member of the U.S. House, spoke to a group of Atheists about, amongst other things, the 9/11 attacks.

“It’s almost like the Reichstag fire, kind of reminds me of that. After the Reichstag was burned, they blamed the Communists for it and it put the leader of that country [Hitler] in a position where he could basically have authority to do whatever he wanted.

"The fact is that I’m not saying [Sept. 11] was a [U.S.] plan, or anything like that because, you know, that’s how they put you in the nut-ball box - dismiss you. ... ”
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http://hotair.com/archives/2007/07/09/keith-ellison-bonds-with-atheists-over-911-reichstag-fire-analogy/

Keith Ellison bonds with atheists over 9/11 “Reichstag fire” analogy

Freshman Congressman Keith Ellison was among friends Sunday — in this case, a gathering of atheists — so his support for a fistful of hot-button opinions, including the impeachment of Vice President Dick Cheney, brought enthusiastic nods of approval and standing ovations.

As he was introduced to the eclectic gathering, which included one man wearing a black T-shirt that read “Investigate 9/11,” Ellison was told that after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Muslims had joined atheists at the bottom of popular opinion polls…

Ellison’s noontime speech before Atheists for Human Rights, a Minneapolis-based group, drew the largest gathering in recent memory for the organization, said Marie Castle, the group’s spokeswoman. “We’re trying to upgrade the image of atheists,” Castle said of the 350-member group. “They don’t think we have a moral compass.”