Lawmaker Fears 'More Muslims' In Office

(AP)  Responding to constituent e-mails about Rep.-elect Keith Ellison's decision to use the Quran at his ceremonial swearing-in, a Virginia congressman warned that "many more Muslims" will be elected and demanding to use the Quran unless immigration is tightened.

Rep. Virgil Goode, R-Va., made the comments in a letter sent to hundreds of constituents about 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.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a civil rights group, 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.

[monamayy]

I think "Goode" is not good at all. He aught to be called Bigoted garbage!

[jdweymouth]

nasimsaad: Even if I disagreed with the congressman's comments (I don't), your comment would quickly make me forgive him. Saying that Christianity and Islamshare share the same Abrahamic roots is quite insulting. You critizize Virgil Goode for writing that letter, but what you said is far more insulting.
As for the ten commandments; Christianity and Judaism both practice them. We christians don't claim to worship the same god that modern Jews worship, because we don't.

[Fremen93]

It amazes me that people still cling to the nonsense that muslims were celebrating the 9/11 attacks. How ignorant is that? Hundreds of muslims working in the WTC died on 9/11 and had nothing to do with the terrorists who crashed into it.
There are millions of muslims in this country and over a billion all over the world. If muslims really were all bent on the destruction of the USA we'd all be in serious trouble. After 9/11 the media showed some people celebrating in the streets overseas, but later it was shown that to be old footage from before the attacks. Don't believe everything you see on the media. They will make simple rainstorms seem like the apocalypse just to sell more papers and commercial time. In general, most muslims do not hate christians or jews. But as people like you continue to persecute muslims and vilify us, you are in a sense trying to create animosity between us.
The extremists on both sides want a holy war, why give them what they want?

[luckyamerica-2009]

Thank God for Virgil Goode. At last someone has stepped forward to express what most american thing of Muslims. The folks are the terrorist amoung us.
They will now attempt to call everone who has a like opinion of the congressman will be labeled as bigots and whatever else the start calling us. To our faces, the represent themself's as regular americans, but behind our backs, they hate our guts. I will never forget on 911 the Muslims celebrating the attack on the Trade Center.

[lighteye1967]

As a citizen of the United States Of America, and a combat veteran of the Gulf War, I salute Mr. Goode for having the moral fiber to state his beliefs, regardless of the consequences.

Actually, what he is railing against is this great country's slide into incoherent idiocy. As much as this would please the arabic world, Sen. Goode is taking a stand to not let a rogue senator's actions slide as acceptable behaviour.

What could be wrong with banning gay marriage? With securing this country's borders? With controlling the amount of debt that the millions of illegal immigrants foist upon the medical and social welfare systems? NOTHING!!!Sen Goode has made a stand on all of these issues, and I applaud him for it.

I also want to vomit, but not because of Sen. Goode's actions, but rather that the constitution of this land is being bent into something our founding fathers never intended and in all probability would NEVER have tolerated. They had no way of knowing the 5th columnists would be so bold.

Please, if he offends you that much, pack your belongings, yes, your evil, capitalist luxuries into a suitcase that was probably made in China,and seek asylum in a muslim dominated society, because this is definitely NOT one.This is the United States of America, not some third world sandpit ruled by a raving lunatic waving a quran babbling about the 12th imam who purportedly fell down a well.

[se777]

Maybe we should all listen to what Mr. Goode has to say. The Koran says: "O believers, take not Jews and Christians as friends; they are friends of each other. Those of you who make them his friends is one of them. God does not guide an unjust people. - 5:54" How can Muslims say they want to beoome part of American society yet live by such a command as this?

[nasimsaad]

It is so weird. I am a Muslim who voted for Mr. Goode. I support legal immigration. I am an American Muslim who legally immigrated during President George Bush senior's term. America has always been open to legal immigrants. As a Republican and as a Muslim resident of Virginia, I sad that Mr. Goode is misrepresenting me. How could he mail me such a letter. Besides Islam and Christianity share the same Abrahamic roots. I believe in the 10 commandments.

[nasimsaad]

It is so weird. I am a Muslim who voted for Mr. Goode. I support legal immigration. I am an American Muslim who legally immigrated during President George Bush senior's term. America has always been open to legal immigrants. As a Republican and as a Muslim resident of Virginia, I sad that Mr. Goode is misrepresenting me. How could he mail me such a letter. Besides Islam and Christianity share the same Abrahamic roots. I believe in the 10 commandments.

[ganbaruzo]

As a resident of Mr. Goode's district, I am mortified by his comments, and the fact that he supposedly represents my interests. His bigoted, unchristian zenophobia is also profoundly unamerican. As Thomas Jefferson(a more intelligent former politician from the region) knew, religious freedom is one of the cornerstones of this country. Mr. Goode makes we want to vomit.