Rep. Goode: No Apology For Muslim Letter

(CBS/AP)  A spokesperson for Rep. Virgil Goode, R-Va., says the congressman has no intention of apologizing for his comments about Muslims in a letter to constituents, CBS News has learned.

Goode is holding a news conference Thursday afternoon, following reactions to his remarks from the Muslim-American community and one Democratic congressman, CBS News Capitol Hill correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports.

The Republican congressman told constituents that unless immigration is tightened, "many more Muslims" will be elected and follow the lead of a recently elected lawmaker who plans to use the Quran at his ceremonial swearing-in.

Goode made the comments in a letter sent earlier this month to hundreds of constituents who had written to him about Rep.-elect Keith Ellison, a Minnesota Democrat and the first Muslim elected to Congress. Goode's letter triggered angry responses from a New Jersey congressman and an Islamic civil rights group.

Goode made the comments in a letter sent to hundreds of constituents about Keith Ellison, D-Minn., the first Muslim elected to Congress.

"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.

Goode said the U.S. needs to stop illegal immigration "totally" and reduce legal immigration.

Goode added: "I fear that in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States if we do not adopt the strict immigration policies that I believe are necessary to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America and to prevent our resources from being swamped."

Ellison was born in Detroit and converted to Islam in college. He did not immediately return a telephone message left Wednesday.

"Virgil Goode went into a diatribe about immigration without knowing Ellison was born in the U.S.," Arsalan Iftikhar, national legal director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), told CBSNews.com. "It shows the level of ignorance and lack of education that Congressman Goode has."

Democratic Rep. Bill Pascrell, whose New Jersey district is home to many Muslim-Americans, is also upset about Goode's comments. Pascrell said Wednesday that he was "greatly disappointed and in fact startled" by Goode's letter,

CAIR has called on Goode to apologize for the letter.

"Representative Goode's Islamophobic remarks send a message of intolerance that is unworthy of anyone elected to public office," said CAIR National Legislative Director Corey Saylor. "There can be no reasonable defense for such bigotry."

Goode spokesman Linwood Duncan said no apology was forthcoming.

"The only statement the congressman has is that he stands by the letter," Duncan said.

Goode was once a Democrat, became an independent, and then became a Republican as his Southside Virginia district shifted over time, reports CBS Evening news producer Laura Strickler.

Goode was also involved with MZM, the defense contractor that brought down ex-Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham with bribes. Goode received more money from MZM employees and the former CEO of MZM, Mitchell Wade, than any other member of Congress. He donated the money to various local Virginia charities after current and former MZM employees complained they were coerced into giving the donations, Strickler says.

[rjames165]

I'd like to assure my fellow Americans that evidence to the contrary most Virginians are NOT bigoted blithering idiots.

[hermit22]

And the chickens all agreed to be friends with the fox, and it worked fine until the last minute, the last minute for the chickens.

[on_alert247]

Volume 4, Book 52, Number 270:

The Prophet said, "Who is ready to kill Ka'b bin Al-Ashraf who has really hurt Allah and His Apostle?" Muhammad bin Maslama said, "O Allah's Apostle! Do you like me to kill him?" He replied in the affirmative. So, Muhammad bin Maslama went to him (i.e. Ka'b) and said, "This person (i.e. the Prophet) has put us to task and asked us for charity." Ka'b replied, "By Allah, you will get tired of him." Muhammad said to him, "We have followed him, so we dislike to leave him till we see the end of his affair." Muhammad bin Maslama went on talking to him in this way till he got the chance to kill him.

[on_alert247]

Volume 5, Book 59, Number 372:

Allah's Apostle sent 'Abdullah bin 'Atik and 'Abdullah bin 'Utba with a group of men to Abu Rafi (to kill him). They proceeded till they approached his castle, whereupon 'Abdullah bin Atik said to them, "Wait (here), and in the meantime I will go and see." 'Abdullah said later on, "I played a trick in order to enter the castle. By chance, they lost a donkey of theirs and came out carrying a flaming light to search for it. I was afraid that they would recognize me, so I covered my head and legs and pretended to answer the call to nature. ... I came again and changed my voice as if I were a helper, and found Abu Rafi lying straight on his back, so I drove the sword into his belly and bent on it till I heard the sound of a bone break. Then I came out, filled with astonishment and went to the staircase to descend, but I fell down from it and got my leg dislocated. I bandaged it and went to my companions limping. I said (to them), 'Go and tell Allah's Apostle of this good news, but I will not leave (this place) till I hear the news of his (i.e. Abu Rafi's) death.' When dawn broke, an announcer of death got over the wall and announced, 'I convey to you the news of Abu Rafi's death.' I got up and proceeded without feeling any pain till I caught up with my companions before they reached the Prophet to whom I conveyed the good news."

[on_alert247]

Volume 4, Book 52, Number 286:

"An infidel spy came to the Prophet while he was on a journey. The spy sat with the companions of the Prophet and started talking and then went away. The Prophet said (to his companions), 'Chase and kill him.' So, I killed him." The Prophet then gave him the belongings of the killed spy (in addition to his share of the war booty).

[on_alert247]

Volume 9, Book 84, Number 64:
Whenever I tell you a narration from Allah's Apostle, by Allah, I would rather fall down from the sky than ascribe a false statement to him, but if I tell you something between me and you (not a Hadith) then it was indeed a trick (i.e., I may say things just to cheat my enemy). No doubt I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "During the last days there will appear some young foolish people who will say the best words but their faith will not go beyond their throats (i.e. they will have no faith) and will go out from (leave) their religion as an arrow goes out of the game. So, where-ever you find them, kill them, for who-ever kills them shall have reward on the Day of Resurrection."

Volume 4, Book 52, Number 177:
Allah's Apostle said, "The Hour will not be established until you fight with the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say. "O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so kill him."

[on_alert247]

Dr. Gray,

There should not be any tolerance of hate. That goes for Rep. Goode and the prophet Muhammad.

Volume 9, Book 93, Number 633:
A Jew and Jewess were brought to the Prophet on a charge of committing an illegal sexual intercourse. The Prophet asked the Jews, "What do you (usually) do with them?" They said, "We blacken their faces and disgrace them." He said, "Bring here the Torah and recite it, if you are truthful." They (fetched it and) came and asked a one-eyed man to recite. He went on reciting till he reached a portion on which he put his hand. The Prophet said, "Lift up your hand!" He lifted his hand up and behold, there appeared the verse of Ar-Rajm (stoning of the adulterers to death). Then he said, "O Muhammad! They should be stoned to death but we conceal this Divine Law among ourselves." Then the Prophet ordered that the two sinners be stoned to death and, and they were stoned to death, and I saw the man protecting the woman from the stones.

[phd2006-2009]

Rep. Virgil Goode,

As a Citizen of Virginia, I am quite ashamed of the remarks you made about the Koran and Muslim people. It was blatant Ethnic and Religious white supremacism to say what you did.

Since you Sir represent me in Congress, if you ever want my vote again, don't ever speak in such a hateful manner about any ethnic or religious group of people.

This is the United States, a nation where diversity thrives. It is quite right for a Islamic US citizen to take their vows of office on their own sacred religious text. The Koran is no less of a spiritual and holy book than the Christian bible.

This is not merely a nation of Christians, whether you like that or not. Many Christians don't want to touch a bible revised to suit the political purposes by the British pederast King James! So don't presume that Islam is any better or worse than Christianity. Or that a Muslim congressman is of lesser value than you. That's what white supremacists do.

If you do believe, act and speak like a Muslim American is of lesser value than you, Sir, you don't belong in Congress representing Virginians of all types, and you are practicing unAmerican religious intolerance and bigotry. In short, it's called ethnic and religious supremacism. That would make your remarks white supremacist.

From a white Christian Virginian whose whole family has been in Virginia since we were American Indians,

Dr. Michael Gray

[randalds]

RandalDS: No offense taken, just some people use the terms synonymically. I'm just splitting hairs...
Posted by OlGreyGhost at 10:25 PM : Dec 22, 2006

lol! Thanks, I needed a chuckle.

[alzak07]

second version of virgil non good

Thank you for your recent communication. When you raise your hand to vote in election
Day, you will have your rights in your hand and my remarks in your heart. I do not subscribe
to use the rights in any way. The Muslim Representative from Minnesota was elected by
the voters of that district and American citizens a wake and adopt to our costitution if they
dont there will likely be many more Virgil Goode elected to office and demanding
the interfering in your rights. We need to stop that totally and reduce an antisocial
who try to end the diversity policy pushed hard by President Clinton and allowing many
persons from the Middle East to come to this country. I fear that in this century we
will have many more Virgil Goode in the United States if we do not adopt the strict
policies that I believe are necessary to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the
United States of America and to prevent our resources from being swamped.

The Ten Commandments and "In God We Trust" are on the wall in my office not in
my head.A Muslim student came by the office and asked why I did not have anything on my
wall about the Koran. My response was clear, "As long as I have the honor of representing
the citizens of the 5th District of Virginia in the United States House of Representatives, The
Koran is not going to be on the wall of my office but assure you going to be in my mind."


Sincerely yours,
Virgil Goode