Sean Hannity, Keith Ellison Have Fiery Clash About Muslims (VIDEO)

Sean Hannity and Rep. Keith Ellison engaged in a heated debate about Muslims on Hannity's Wednesday show.

The conversation touched on several very contentious issues, such as the proposed Islamic center near Ground Zero, the 9/11 attacks and the notion that America is "at war" with "radical Islam." Ellison, the first Muslim to be elected to Congress, and Hannity spent much of their time talking over each other.

The debate lasted around 15 minutes, but the most fiery clashes came in the second half. Hannity asked if Ellison thought the Nation of Islam should be "investigated" by the government. "I'm more of a constitutionalist, Sean," Ellison said. "You and I must agree that we wouldn't just investigate a group because we don't agree with them. We gotta have more than that. You'd agree with that, right? Wouldn't you agree with that?"

"Relax," Hannity said, adding that it seemed "reasonable" in light of 9/11 to investigate certain groups in the country.

He then turned to Mohammed Salman Hamdani, the Muslim-American firefighter who died on 9/11. Ellison broke into tears during controversial Congressional hearings on Islam in America while he recounted the negative press and attention Hamdani had been tarred with after the attack because of his religion. Hannity accused him of "misleading the American people" about the amount of criticism Hamdani had received, a point which Ellison vehemently denied. The two struggled to get their words in over each other. At one point, while Ellison was asking Hannity to let him speak, Hannity said, in exasperation, "go ahead, go, go, relax!"

Ellison concluded by asking Hannity to "stop trying to make it like only Muslims are the problem" when it comes to terrorism. Hannity, predictably, took issue with this.

WATCH:

Comments

[Coyote50]

09:59 AM on 04/26/2011

Keith Ellison is a National Treasure. He's also co-chair of the Progressive Caucus, which put out the only budget that would actually bring the deficit down within 10 years without gutting social programs.

The budget savings come from defense cuts, including immediately withdrawing from Afghanistan and Iraq, which saves $1.6 trillion over the CBO baseline from 2012-2021. The tax hikes include restoring the estate tax, ending the Bush tax cuts, and adding new tax brackets for the extremely rich, running from 45% on income over a million a year to 49% on income over a billion a year.

It was actually voted on already and shot down by the House, with 108 Democrats voting against it. If your Congressperson voted against it, write them and tell them you are not happy.

Sean Hannity is a tool.

[WorkhelpWorkhelp]

03:09 AM on 04/26/2011

One of The Great Detractors - Sean is. See who he works for in this great documentary.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swkq2E8mswI

[Obacalypse N0w]

02:49 AM on 04/26/2011

investigate them only where there is evidence of a crime? How do you get that evidence without investigation? Probable cause standard applies only if the government is searching or seizing you or your property (eg. 4th amendment). Ellison is ignant

[havana62]

08:37 PM on 04/25/2011

Sounds like Ol' Sean wants some members of the Nation of Islam to wait outside of his studio in protest. Groups can be very effective.

[zest]

05:03 PM on 04/25/2011

Seemingly, we only invade or occupy Muslim nations that have oil and the indiginous populations react negatively toward us. They happen to be of the Muslim faith so American conservatives make our invasions into a crusade. It's all about oil and only about oil. They want the infidels out and we want the oil.

[Jean Bastien]

12:11 AM on 04/27/2011

Same tired old song from same tired old whiners. OK, WHERE'S THE OIL, THEN? IF WE ONLY GOTO WAR FOR OIL AND ITS ALL ABOUT OIL THEN WHERE IS IT? WHY ARE WE PAYING SUCH HIGH PRICES THEN? WHO'S HOARDING ALL THE OIL? WHERE IS YOUR PROOF? I'm so sick of hearing that shallow worthless argument. I wish we did go to war for oil so I can fill my gas guzzler and go on roadtrips and at least we'd have something to show for all these wars!!!

[zest]

02:08 PM on 04/27/2011

OK, you tell me why we're there. Our love of sand?

[Puncastle]

07:12 AM on 06/04/2011

The goal was never to get the oil for the United States. It is intended to go to Israel via the Haifa pipeline, which coincidentally runs through (wait for it) .... Afghanistan.

[Whinerbozo]

12:36 PM on 04/25/2011

Depends on whether you're a child or an adult. Either way, the convert loses!

[Jaskoen]

04:32 PM on 04/25/2011

According to the bible, what is the punishment for eating shrimp?

Debate over. Judeo-Christianity is a death cult organized around the evil of shellfish as a defining principle.

[Whinerbozo]

06:07 PM on 04/25/2011

Can you spell: non-sequitur?

[Whinerbozo]

08:52 AM on 04/25/2011

The Muslim moderators have been very, very active in censoring the comments on this site. And like most censors they are indiscriminate!

[Mydian01]

12:26 PM on 04/25/2011

they must not be active enough if they havent scrubbed you yet.. so i thought i would flag you so they dont miss your little gem.

[Whinerbozo]

06:04 PM on 04/25/2011

Good for you Comrade!

[mapmaker515]

04:41 PM on 04/24/2011

Hannity is the "Laker Girl" for the Republican Party.

[PotholesInMyLawn]

09:14 PM on 04/24/2011

Great comment!

[Dana Nicole]

02:16 PM on 04/23/2011

The fastest way for us to lose these wars is to say we're at war with Isl*am, radical or no. I haven't met a US soldier, sailor, airman, or Marine yet who was willing to strap C4 to his chest for the Stars and Stripes.

[PotholesInMyLawn]

09:15 PM on 04/24/2011

Bingo

[politicali correct]

04:10 PM on 04/26/2011

me myself and eye just fanned you

[Quitcherbichin]

05:06 PM on 04/26/2011

That just proves that we are not religious zealots with no concern for innocents who may be injured or killed by such religious zealots.

[TurgidCaterwauling]

01:55 PM on 04/23/2011

H@y, th@nks, f@r br@ng@ng cl@r@ty t@ th@s @ss@@.

[Whinerbozo]

03:32 PM on 04/23/2011

Schutzstaffel?

[ascertain the truth]

12:47 PM on 04/23/2011

Islam is a religion for all people. Sean Hannity sees Keith Ellison in racial terms. He did so by asking him should the NOI be investigated. Sean Hannity is playing on the historical track record of an organization that the American people have already been sensitized to see the NOI in a narrow black nationalistic and racist way under Louis Farrakhan. He knows all that he has to say is NOI, or Farrakhan and the viewers will already know what category to put Keith Ellison in. Thereafter, anything that Keith says that is valid, the people will not hear it. All that they will hear is that Keith is a racist muslim who follows Louis Farrakhan.

I'm quiet sure that Sean Hannity and Fox News already did their research long time ago to know Keith Ellison has no affiliation with the Nation of Islam. But, Fox and Company has to keep their propaganda going and their fear tactics going to forever marginalize muslims for the gullible uninformed viewers.

By Keith being an African American and Muslim they have to give the first impression that he is tied to the Nation of Islam. How come Keith couldn't just be looked upon as a Muslim with all other Muslims internationally?

It just like they do to President Jimmy Carter. Instead of looking at some of the valid issues he raises in the Middle East, all they do is focus on when he was President, something that they see in a negative way.

[Whinerbozo]

06:43 PM on 04/23/2011

If Muhammad had turned the "Qur'an" in as a term paper in a freshman rhetoric class, he would have gotten an 'F' for plagiarism and would have been asked if he was 'stoned' when he copied it.

[naijaman]

07:49 PM on 04/24/2011

Whinerbozo...it's obvious you have no idea what you are talking about, because if you did, you'd know Mohammed didn't write the Qur'an.

[KWHOO]

02:06 PM on 04/25/2011

According to Islam when Allah descends to earth in the end, guess who will be sitting at his right side? None other the good ole Jesus himself. It is beyond ironic that Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all sprung from the Abrahamic tradition, yet there are scholars such as your self that try to distort through half facts and out and out misinformation. Read you bible sometime, lots of sword play and mayhem for all of you.

[Marcia cee]

11:39 AM on 04/23/2011

Has anyone taken Ellison's (Nation of Islam member and good friend of Farrakhan) side in this debate or just using it to bash Hannity?

[goodmarina]

12:31 PM on 04/23/2011

actually - would you please prove your baseless allegation?  

it is like trying to say all white people belong to the KKK (get my drift)?

[ascertain the truth]

01:01 PM on 04/23/2011

When the NOI was headed by its founder Elijah Muhammad who passed away February 25, 1975 - Keith Ellison was a little child. Elijah Muhammad's son Imam W Deen Mohammed became the chosen leader the next day, February 26, 1975. Imam W Deen Mohammed from that day forward gradually began the transition to change the NOI philosophy moving it towards mainstream Islam, and he banded the name NOI and gave that movement a new name called "The World Community of Islam in The West".

Farrakhan is the one who after a few years later reinitiated the old name NOI and many of Elijah Muhammad's old teachings. Keith Ellison never was a part of that. He has always identified with Islam under the new leader, Elijah Muhammad's son, Imam W Deen Mohammed. To learn some of the background historical facts of this transition and changed of philosophy go to this link:

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

[Whinerbozo]

02:18 PM on 04/23/2011

NOI: Bobby Poole did away with Wally Ford: Louie Walcott did away with Bobby Poole and Al Little - Nothing like that: "Old-time religion"

[TeraWatt60]

09:55 AM on 04/23/2011

I am so tired of Conjobs like Hannity claiming that it is Muslims who are the only terrorists in society while ignoring the Right Wing craz.ies   Examples:

1) Terry Jones the bi.goted Florida preacher burning Korans knowing that it will cause violence by his Muslim counterparts in wackjob

2) The white supremacist in Washington State who attempted to bomb an MLK Day event

3) The planting of a bomb in a Mall in Littleton, Co on the anniversary of Columbine

4) The Westboro Baptist Church

5) Anti-Choice zealots and their violence and campaign of murders and intimidation

Maybe we need to hold hearing on Fundie "Christians"  and their violent religion?

[Evol Syawla]

11:31 AM on 04/23/2011

I will agree with you on all except Terry Jones. He is doing something that is perfectly legal in this country! The reaction by those Muslims proves the point he is trying to make. It is not just extremist Muslims but a general Muslim reaction which gives support to the premise that the organization at it's core is violent. If the rebellion in Afghanistan was only done by extremist, why did a predator not take out the whole group so we could be left with "peace-loving" Muslims? How is it you are not complaining about the actions of the USA military and government in fomenting dissent and riots in those same countries? As for Hanity and Fox, I despise them and will listen this clip only to see if Hanity was really insinuating that Muslims were the only ones responsible for terrorism. The only times I allowed myself to be forced into listening is when Allan was on that show. Since then, I have never look at that station. If the Army of God, Westbro and other protesters are allowed, Terry must be allowed the same freedom! Those Muslims cannot stay over there in that prehistoric dump and force US to follow there principles and do as they say! It is our country and offensive as it may sound, we do as we please as long as it is legal and lawful.

[goodmarina]

12:32 PM on 04/23/2011

you are wrong - it is not Muslims that are reacting .. it is Christians like me, too.

While i agree with freedom of expression ...  to do so in a way that causes loss of lives is NEVER acceptable.  that was not the intent of the founding fathers; surely, you can see that.

[brobike42]

02:46 PM on 04/23/2011

Personally, I would like to see the reactions of the "good" christians in this country if an Imam in Palestine, Pakistan or wherever burned a bible.

[Alan Duncan]

05:26 PM on 04/25/2011

Remember Oklahoma City?

[thundermummy]

09:01 AM on 04/23/2011

Let's investigate Christians, I don't trust them.

[Whinerbozo]

03:29 PM on 04/24/2011

"silly boy ya' self-destroyer. paranoia, they destroy ya'" But, in your case it's nothing to worry about.