Tea Party Founder Judson Phillips Admits He Has 'Real Problem With Islam'

Judson Phillips, founder of the Tea Party Nation, fortified a recent email encouraging Minnesotans in the 5th Congressional District to vote Rep. Keith Ellison (D) out -- in part because he's a Muslim -- by stating that he, as well as most Tea Party members, has serious qualms with Islam.

"A majority of Tea Party members, I suspect, are not fans of Islam," Phillips said in an interview with the Daily Caller. "I, personally have a real problem with Islam. With Islam, you have a religion that says kill the Jews, kill the infidels. It bothers me when a religion says kill the infidels. It bothers me a lot more when I am the infidel."

Earlier in the week, Phillips blasted out an email asking voters to support Ellison's opponent Lynne Torgerson, a divisive candidate herself in the area of religious tolerance:

There are a lot of liberals who need to be retired this year, but there are few I can think of more deserving than Keith Ellison. Ellison is one of the most radical members of congress. He has a ZERO rating from the American Conservative Union. He is the only Muslim member of congress. He supports the Counsel for American Islamic Relations, HAMAS and has helped congress send millions of tax to terrorists in Gaza.

Phillips, who came to prominence earlier this year for organizing a much-maligned, mainstream Tea Party National Convention, rectified his incorrect assertion that Ellison is the "only Muslim member of congress" to the Daily Caller -- Rep. Andre Carson (D-Ind.) is also Muslim -- but, according to a post on Tea Party Nation, as well as a later interview in the Washington Post, would not excuse his opposition to the congressman on religious grounds.

"I am not going to apologize because I'm bothered by a religion that says kill the infidel, especially when I am the infidel," Phillips wrote on Tea Party Nation, according to the Daily Caller. "Should we vote out Keith Ellison just because he is a Muslim? No. But his beliefs define his character and his character is a central issue."

Lynne Torgerson's website can provide a little insight into how her candidacy meshes with Judson Phillips's religious motivation for taking on Ellison.

Torgerson devotes a large portion of her issues page to anti-Islamist rhetoric and anti-CAIR conspiracies. Despite her intense fear of the connection between Islam and terrorism, however, she does say, "To my great relief, I have learned that there are moderate, America loving, Constitution supporting muslims."

Ellison responded to the matter in an op-ed for the Washington Post on Wednesday.

"I issue a call to civility, and urge Americans to reject the divisive rhetoric of Republican Tea Party leaders like Judson Phillips; including calls for my defeat solely because of my religion," Ellison wrote. "I know that some don't share my political views. This is OK. In America, we cherish our diversity of views. But an American's religion is their own business and no one should be excluded based on considerations like religion, race, sex, etc."

Comments

[Taymullah]

06:09 PM on 11/29/2010

Salam

It is a shame Islam is so misunderstood after all these years, as the only true word of God the Quran is unmatched, other text are merely words spoken by men about god or prophets teachings. The Quran is not these things, but the word of God.

There is no "violence" or "terrorism" permitted in our faith. As a Muslim I am peaceful with those around me, i do not come against them unless they attempt to oppress me, My Jihad is a struggle within myself as a White American living in The United States as a Muslim and practicing my faith, it is a struggle to move forward in faith and guidance by Allah "Alhamdulillah"

Our faith has the same prophets as yours, the same teachings and the same stories. Please quit being so ignorant of your own ways and truly understand my and millions of other peoples faith before you comment on it. Also any "translation" of the Qoran will never be 100% correct. It is the oldest surviving religious text that is 100% true to the way it was upon being given those of Islamic faith by Allah and Insha'Allah the rest of the world is coming to realize this. Islam is the on true faith of god and the Qoran is the only word of god.

[ModerndayJohnnyappleseed]

08:23 PM on 12/20/2010

I have study many religions, I have join Sufi dancing and see the beauty of Islam, but I am sorry your prophet was slaver and warrior prophet (and marrying very young girls at old age) (yes I understand it was times and area of harshness, ) but if you look at most other leaders and founders of religions they did not promote slavery, raiding, killing as much as Mohamaded. Sure God can use and refine any religion. and out of rough cloth that Islam was born did come great truths.

[mcmutter]

03:16 PM on 11/13/2010

I have real problems with biblethumpers and baggers ....

[Philclock]

09:20 PM on 11/07/2010

I, too, have a real problem with Islam, until it proves itself a religion of peace, separating faith from state.

[Darts]

03:33 PM on 10/30/2010

I was just arguing the point last night with a Tea Party admirer about how the Tea Party is made up of nutbags and racists. He assured me they were no more racist than any other party, even going so far as to suggest it's constituency is 25% African American. I don't believe that, naturally. So how un-racist are they now?

[123anon]

03:53 PM on 10/30/2010

I just did a study.

I asked 10 tea partiers if he/she was a racist. Each said, "No."
Then,
I asked 10 huffpo visiter if he/she was a racist. Each said, "No."

Find some people who self identify as racist. Then we will get a count. I'm having trouble finding any racists.

I'm also looking for nuts and witches and homophobes and Islamophobes. Nobody is stepping forward.

I have found some tea-party-phobes.

Are you a tea-party-phobe?

No? Oh well. None of these studies are working.

And they were all anonymous, too. Very frustrating.

Wait, actually I found some wiccans, but they all said that my "witch" definition was all messed.

Yes I have found African American Tea Partiers.

[Darts]

09:00 PM on 10/30/2010

Yeah if I had to wait for people to self-identify themselves as something no one would ever admit to in public, then I guess I'd never find any racists either. So as long as they say the aren't racists, I guess they aren't. Thanks for this brilliant new way to define everything!

[whitey7]

06:10 PM on 10/31/2010

Islamophobes? I'm not sure a institution that oppresses people shouldn't be feared and repudiated. Today the top clerics in Saudi Arabia issues a fatwa stating that women should not have jobs where they may come in contact with men. Read a little more (The Koran is a good place to start) and you'll see what I mean. In short Teabaggers and Islam have a lot in common.

[123anon]

04:07 PM on 10/30/2010

"Authorities on three continents scrambled to check planes from Philadelphia to central England, recovering two live explosive devices addressed to two synagogues in Chicago."

If you are looking for nutbags, try Yemen.

[Puncastle]

07:08 PM on 11/02/2010

Except that they discovered that they didn't actually come from Yemen and they weren't actually explosive devices. The initial report was that they were sent by UPS from Yemen until the blog-o-sphere quickly discovered that there is no UPS office in Yemen. Then the bloggers discovered that British police announced that the packages did not contain any explosives. Then it was discovered that Hanan Al-Samawi was released after discovering that she was not involved in the plot and that the packages were sent by someone using her name and phone number. It was also discovered by YNET that Israel had foreknowledge of the packages on Thursday, the day BEFORE the rest of the world. And finally it was discovered that the U.S. put pressure on Yemen to arrest Hanan Al-Samawi, despite not having any evidence.

So, I think the nutbags are the people running for midterm elections that rely on fear and gullibility... OR, perhaps the real nutbags are the ones who ARE fearful and gullible. It's a tough call.

[mcmutter]

03:18 PM on 11/13/2010

or ... just try the confederate states ....

[123anon]

02:04 AM on 10/30/2010

Not at all relevant to this political topic. OTOH, this is relevant to all politics.

"Worse, Schoen adds, "43 percent say that Barack Obama has been a better president than George W. Bush, while 48 percent say Bush was a better president than Obama has been.""

http://politics.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2010/10/27/poll-most-want-obama-fired-in-2012

[123anon]

10:43 PM on 10/29/2010

Both packages originated from Yemen and were addressed to two Chicago synagogues.

Oh man. What was I just tallking about????????????????????

[123anon]

11:55 PM on 10/29/2010

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/123anon/judson-phillips-tea-party-islam_n_775260_65493925.html

That link is to what I was just talking about.

Synagogues are always on purchased or donated land.
Mosques are on conquered land, sometimes previously churches or synagogues.

[123anon]

03:53 PM on 10/30/2010

Some updates
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/123anon/judson-phillips-tea-party-islam_n_775260_65596667.html

[Doug Sandlin]

12:57 AM on 10/31/2010

"Mosques are on conquered land, sometimes previously churches or synagogues."

Oh - like Christian Churches.

[tallen]

08:42 PM on 10/29/2010

Historically, he's not alone.

"It is certainly one of the most convincing proofs that Mohammedism was no other than human invention, that it owed its progress and establishment almost entirely to the sword."
~Thomas Jefferson

"The precept of the koran is, perpetual war against all who deny, that Mahomet is the prophet of God. The vanquished may purchase their lives, by the payment of tribute; the victorious may be appeased by a false and delusive promise of peace; and the faithful follower of the prophet, may submit to the imperious necessities of defeat: but the command to propagate the Moslem creed by the sword is always obligatory, when it can be made effective. The commands of the prophet may be performed alike, by fraud, or by force."
~John Quincy Adams

Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytising faith. It has already spread throughout Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every step; and were it not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of science - the science against which it had vainly struggled - the civilization of modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilization of ancient Rome."
~Winston Churchill

[123anon]

11:15 PM on 10/29/2010

You're going to have to help me.

I don't doubt these quotes, but I can't use them without links.

The first one is not going well in google.

So where did you get these?

[tallen]

10:03 AM on 10/30/2010

1) http://www.amazon.com/Jeffersons-War-Americas-Terror-1801-1805
2) http://www.archive.org/stream/p1americanannual29blunuoft#page/n5/mode/2up
3) The River War, Vol. II , Sir Winston Churchill

[Puncastle]

07:47 PM on 11/02/2010

In 1776, John Adams published "Thoughts on Government," in which he praises the Islamic prophet Muhammad as a "sober inquirer after truth" alongside Confucius, Zoroaster, Socrates, and other "pagan and Christian" thinkers.

In 1785, George Washington stated a willingness to hire "Mahometans," as well as people of any nation or religion, to work on his private estate at Mount Vernon if they were "good workmen."

In 1790, the South Carolina legislative body granted special legal status to a community of Moroccans, twelve years after the Sultan of Morocco became the first foreign head of state to formally recognize the United States.[22] In 1797, President John Adams signed a treaty declaring the United States had no "character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Mussulmen (Muslims)".

In his autobiography, published in 1791, Benjamin Franklin stated that he "did not disapprove" of a meeting place in Pennsylvania that was designed to accommodate preachers of all religions. Franklin wrote that "even if the Mufti of Constantinople were to send a missionary to preach Mohammedanism to us, he would find a pulpit at his service."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_the_United_States

[ver1tas]

12:32 AM on 10/30/2010

You mean someone is actually catching up to the brutality instilled all over the world by Christians for centuries? I wonder how it feels to at last have to deal with people as crazy as themselves. Lol ... Btw Islam is growing by 1.84% annually so be afraid be very afraiddd lol

[123anon]

01:12 AM on 10/30/2010

Christians, statitically, have not been the cause of the world's brutality.

The Enlightenment (French revolution + Robespierre + Napoleonic wars + various European revolutions) easily killed more people than crusades + inquisition + war over reformation + room to spare.

And Atheists left plenty of dead bodies in their wake.

Islam is certainly up on the list.

Christianity is not perfect, but show me your math and we'll see where you got a decimal point off somewhere.

[tallen]

10:06 AM on 10/30/2010

Christianity underwent a reformation.
That has not yet happened with Islam

>>Islam is growing by 1.84%

I hear that its the fastest growing faith in American prisons

>>so be afraid be very afraiddd

Was in Lebanon in 83 during the Lebanese civil war. I've seen it up close.
How about you?

[123anon]

07:38 PM on 10/29/2010

irony or is it coincidence?

Or did I just win another million$ from another person betting there would never again be another terrorist attempt by that one uncaptured Muslim terrorist!

LOL
LOL

We interupt this conversation to take you to

Developing:
US-Bound Suspicious Packages Containing Explosives Are 'Credible Threat

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/29/suspicious-packages-found_n_775976.html

[ver1tas]

12:27 AM on 10/30/2010

One of these suspicious packages were intercepted by Saudi Arabian officials in Dubai, you know Muslims.. Dont forget that..

[123anon]

12:40 AM on 10/30/2010

99% of everybody loves Muslims. I'm not kidding. The problem is that 10% of a billion Muslims don't like us and are even willing to promote certain hostile acts against us, targeting pure civilian areas and using suicide tactics..

Occasionally in a heated discussion somebody will say something mean about somebody else and the media gets a payday re-playing the sound bite until the next payday sound bite and everyone gets amnesia about the "old" news.

[ver1tas]

06:32 PM on 10/29/2010

It's exactly this kind of rhetoric that got black people lynched, the Japanese into a bunch of confinement camps, and innocent people's lives and careers destroyed by McCarthyism.

If Muslims truly believed they need to kill all infidels, no US citizen would ever return from a vacation in countries like Egypt, Turkey, Morocco, etc.. and India would have been destroyed by a bloody civil war. If Muslims wanted to kill infidels, especially Americans.. the US would have been annihilated a long time ago.. Sorry but you just don't stand a chance against 1.6 billion people, short of nuking the entire world into oblivion.

Jud, travel the world a bit and socialize.. it'll do you good.

[123anon]

11:36 PM on 10/29/2010

Bad form to target tourists. It happens.

Generally that makes the host country seek out the terrorists and banish them to the nearest desert.

Tourism is the only economy a lot of places have.

[ver1tas]

12:38 AM on 10/30/2010

I said no US citizen would ever make it back. Isolated incidents like that happen all over the world.. I can go to south america today and have my kidney sold on the black market tomorrow.. That doesn't mean evetyone in SA is a kidnapper.

[123anon]

11:37 PM on 10/29/2010

Even the terrorists like to go on vacation and not worry about getting caught up in some bru-haha (sp?)

[JessCostello]

04:12 PM on 10/29/2010

Keith Ellison is a former member of the Nation of Islam. He's also attacked the Tea Party quite a bit. I enjoyed seeing him get called out the last time he was on TV calling the Tea Party racist. He had a deer in the headlights look.

[TexasDem0]

04:01 PM on 10/29/2010

Just a guess, but maybe more people in the U.S have a problem with the Tea Party than with Islam.

[123anon]

11:34 PM on 10/29/2010

With a"just" and a "guess" coupled to a "but maybe" and a "more", one can credibly say almost anything.

Fav'd.

[gunrunner99]

08:18 PM on 11/05/2010

Sounds that way which is sad because no matter what u r,dem,pub,whatever,we are all Americans and,I am sure that some muslims love what u just said.

[AthenasOwl]

03:49 PM on 10/29/2010

First - If Muslims universally believed that non-Muslims should be killed, we wouldn't stand a chance against over 1 billion of them.
Second - Don't make policy out of your "problems".
Third - the constitution, so loved by the tea party, specifically prohibits using religion as a test for office.

I suggest Mr. Phillips work out his "problems" in a venue other than politics.

[JessCostello]

04:14 PM on 10/29/2010

First - If Muslims universally believed that non-Muslims should be killed, we wouldn't stand a chance against over 1 billion of them.

^^^
It helps when you have an ocean to cross and a huge technological advantage. Ask a Zoroastrian or a Byzantine what it's like when Muslims are determined to kill you.
Obviously the whole Muslim population isn't interested in warfare, but it doesn't take the whole population to do damage. Just a lot of motivated young men, which is the same demographic that the Quran caters to.

[123anon]

04:28 PM on 10/29/2010

The polls show over 10% believe in some uses of suicide attacks on pure civililian targets (see school kids in Chechnya).

I'm glad I don't live across the border from people that believe that.

At the same time we were within 30 minutes of nuclear annihilation at the hands of a billion non-Christians for decades. We only miss parts of the 80's.

fav'd.

[ver1tas]

06:41 PM on 10/29/2010

Securtiy by Oceans became irrelevant with the advance of weapons technology... didn't Japan teach you that lesson already??

[JessCostello]

04:15 PM on 10/29/2010

Third - the constitution, so loved by the tea party, specifically prohibits using religion as a test for office.

Correct. I'd also like to note that the "Tea Party" is a catch all for various groups.

[blknightowl]

03:31 PM on 10/29/2010

I find the irony a little amusing. In America, a man has a problem with Islam, which he interprets incorrectly, so he founds a group of people who seem to have problems with American Blacks not staying "in their place," women "who will not stay in their place," women's bodies, gays, Jews, religions who do not hold his evangelical beliefs, liberals, etc., etc. I personally, have my own problems. I do not air them on TV, or in public. My reason for "having a large problem" with the Tea Party members is that they are quite intolerant of just about everybody and everything. I can think of no other country (and I have lived in a few) where we would knowing elect someone who has a "problem" with whole sects of people they purport to represent. But, hey...this man says he knows what's best for all the rest of us and he thinks he has a majority. Comedy at it's best.

[towny]

03:09 PM on 10/29/2010

And I have a real problem with the TEA PARTY!

[gunrunner99]

08:12 PM on 11/06/2010

I dont understand something,I searched " Tea Party" and, basically all I got was a group of people against the goverment spending and ideas,is this correct?

[whit4brains]

02:24 PM on 10/29/2010

"He has a ZERO rating from the American Conservative Union"

Awesome. Hope he keeps his seat!

[thinkingwomanmillstone]

03:20 PM on 10/29/2010

That's an endorsement similar to having a zero rating from the klan. He'd get my vote.

[JessCostello]

04:18 PM on 10/29/2010

I wonder if the NOI does endorsements? Seeing that Ellison was a member of the NOI and he likes to call out "racist" white people but doesn't call out racist non-whites.