Keith Ellison Challenger's Anti-Muslim Ad Pulled From YouTube

A challenger to Muslim Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) had his web ad, which featured graphic images of murdered non-Muslims and the House member swearing to the Koran, pulled from YouTube for violating the site's terms of service last week, Hopkins Patch reports.

"Congressman Ellison swore an oath to uphold the Constitution," says Ellison's Democratic challenger Gary Boisclair, "on a Koran." He continues, "The Koran says Christians and Jews are infidels. The Koran says Christians are blasphemers who should have their hands and feet cut off and that they should be crucified and killed." He asks, "Do you really want someone representing you who swears an oath on a Koran, a book that undermines the Constitution and says you should be killed?"

(You can watch the ad here, via the Minnesota Independent.)

Boisclair, who works for the anti-abortion group Society for Truth and Justice, told Patch that one of the "sub-goals" of his candidacy is to allow the airing of graphic anti-abortion ads.

Ellison was indeed sworn in using a Koran -- a copy owned by Thomas Jefferson.

"I'd like to thank YouTube for removing the ad because it violated the company's 'policy on shocking and disgusting content,'" said Ellison in a statement. "The people of Minnesota's Fifth Congressional District elected me to uphold our Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion for every American."

One of Ellison's opponents in 2010 -- and possibly 2012 -- independent Lynne Torgerson, attacked Ellison for his Muslim faith. She wrote that Islam advocated "criminal behavior," adding "we simply went too far with Keith Ellison. Keith Ellison simply is not a proper person to have in our federal government."

Ellison's constituents in Minneapolis and its environs, however, have consistently voted for him. He has been re-elected twice, winning by over forty points each time.

Comments

[StephenBP]

09:02 PM on 12/05/2011

I hope that when Gary Boisclair shows his aborted fetuses, he shows pictures of babies without brains or other vital signs that he would demand be carried to full term by their mothers.

What absolute monsters these anti-abortionists are. They would tear the country apart for fear of offending their "loving".... (ha!).... God.

[Gloriem]

08:20 PM on 11/16/2011

Take a look at the source. Look at an article by Bill Warner of Political Islam. Here is an article of his where he and his researchers have used STATISTICS to QUANTIFY the violent verses in the Koran vs. the Bible. The Koran and Hadith contain nearly TEN TIMES the amount of political violence as the Bible. Also, and this is critical, the violence in the Old Testament was CONFINED TO THAT TIME, TO THAT SPECIFIC EVENT OR WAR, but the violence in the Koran APPLIES TO TODAY AND TO ALL TIME, TO ALL INFIDELS TODAY, TO PEOPLE READING THIS COMMENT, not just to some tribe thousands of years ago as is the case in the OT.

http://www.politicalislam.com/blog/the-political-violence-of-the-bible-and-the-koran/

So, I prefer people who swear on the bible or just swear on their honor. Not on the Koran.

[StephenBP]

08:55 PM on 12/05/2011

Why did you include the Hadith? Why not just the Bible and the Koran? Whatever.

Here is a line from the Hadith... " My mercy prevails over My wrath". So I guess you can selectively pick whatever you want from ancient holy books and spin it any way you want.

Oh yeah, and Muslims actually rever Jesus as a prophet.

There are extremists in just about any religion.

That is why I stick to science and tolerance and hope for the best.

[Puncastle]

12:50 AM on 11/13/2011

Keith is a man of the people.

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

[MNUSA]

10:28 AM on 11/12/2011

What should Rep. Ellison use to put his hand on when he takes the oath of office? A dictionary? A Bible? He's a Muslim. His holy book is the Koran. By the way, Rep. Ellison doesn't need to worry about being re-elected in his district. He won in 2010 with 67.7% of the vote. This is a progressive district, which includes the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, City of Minneapolis and a few suburbs, with a 69% population of white voters along with black, Hispanic, Asian, American Indian and Hmong and Somali refugees. The population better educated than the national average.

[riff4u]

02:48 PM on 11/20/2011

He put his hand the Quran taken from the Library of Congress that once belonged to Thomas Jefferson.

[Imzadi]

09:25 AM on 11/12/2011

Ellison is one of the finest Reps in Congress today. By contrast, Boisclair is a person who would not serve his electorate well. He stands against the laws of the land.

[Puncastle]

12:39 AM on 11/13/2011

I met him in real life. He is a real "people person".

[Imzadi]

07:48 AM on 11/13/2011

I have had that honor as well...

[philss]

09:13 AM on 11/12/2011

I have no doubt karl rove was behind this ad too

[HowthCastle]

01:13 PM on 11/12/2011

Aw, come on. Would Karl Rove use dirty tricks?

[Jcray]

07:38 AM on 11/12/2011

Well someone that has a 0% chance of winning needs to get new somehow I guess. His facts about Muslims and the Qur'an are completely wrong but that isn't surprising for people who hate Islam. Maybe he doesn't realize that Ellison's district is probably 20-30% Muslim.

[MNUSA]

10:29 AM on 11/12/2011

20 - 30% Muslim isn't even close. It's mostly Christian.

[Jcray]

11:44 AM on 11/12/2011

Yeah i did that math in my head after that, its probably around 10-15%.

[Bueno Hombre]

06:54 AM on 11/12/2011

Evidently Gary Boisclair does not believe in the Constitution and the "Feedom of Religion". I would assume anyone supporting him would also advocate if he were elected ,that he write a bill to establish a "State Religion" that all Americans would have to swear alligence to.

[Puncastle]

05:05 AM on 11/12/2011

The Qur'an does not say that Jews and Christians are infidels. The Qur'an refers to Jews and Christians as "People of the Book", because they have received revelations from God. The Qur'an does not use the word, "infidel". It refers to the idolators, pagans, and those who disbelieve.

[Shandra Brown Valyear]

09:21 AM on 11/12/2011

Just as the Bible does! I am tired of people that have no idea what the Qur'an says, but only what they have heard radical Islamists say it does. Thanks for clearing that point up.

[HowthCastle]

01:15 PM on 11/12/2011

Most "Christians" do not know what the Bible says.

[KarlRoveIsSatan]

02:52 AM on 11/12/2011

What would Mitt take his oath on if he were elected? I would love someone to ask that at the next debate.

[PollyTics]

03:50 AM on 11/12/2011

The Wall Street Journal?

[MNUSA]

10:30 AM on 11/12/2011

The Bible of every Republican.

[Tom Iarossi]

11:18 AM on 11/12/2011

News of the World, perhaps...

[valluhree]

02:07 AM on 11/12/2011

The fact that he's getting attacked for what he believes is depressing.

[Imzadi]

09:26 AM on 11/12/2011

Who? Ellison or Gary Boisclair?

[HowthCastle]

01:17 PM on 11/12/2011

It's fair to attack Boisclair because he is an ignoramus.

[MNUSA]

10:33 AM on 11/12/2011

In the Minnesota 5th District, the only candidate is going to be the endorsed Democratic candidate. Anyone running against that candidate is going to be one of those nutty, perennial candidates that don't have a ghost of a chance. Martin Olav Sabo served as the representative for 28 years usually getting about 70% of the vote. There are no viable Republicans that even try for this office.

[ElBruce]

01:02 AM on 11/12/2011

You don't get to be their spokesperson.

[dougeyboy]

01:38 AM on 11/12/2011

And I bet it's just a coincidence that you're a Christian. . .

[Airburst]

11:09 AM on 11/12/2011

Born and raised a Catholic until aged 16. I'm an agnostic. The problem here isn't so much that every muslim is a terrorist, but it seems every terrorist is a muslim. If a moderate muslim community exists, they seem to be invisible when it comes to facing the jihadists that have comandeered their "religion". The problem of violent islam can only be faced down by other muslims and it ain't happening.

[see-ellen2001]

12:16 AM on 11/12/2011

Wow. I've heard of dirty politics but this takes the cake.

[eliasasm]

08:40 PM on 11/11/2011

I pray each night that these Theorcrats take their religions home and/or to church and keep it out of my government.

[O K Ali]

05:59 PM on 11/11/2011

On a lighter note, I'm moving to MN to start selling Sharia shots. Only $50 to guarantee that the "ghastly Sharia" never crosses your path. Anyone want in on the ground floor?

[Blak]

08:40 PM on 11/11/2011

Genius idea. Count me in....

[RockyMissouri]

09:52 AM on 11/12/2011

What do you even mean by that...?

[O K Ali]

01:57 PM on 11/12/2011

Sorry, there is no sarcasm font. Since many politicians and pundits like to sell fear, I figured I could get in the game by selling the solution.