Jewish Community Relations Council condemns candidate's hateful attack on Rep. Keith Ellison

An anti-Muslim campaign commercial by a candidate challenging U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison in the Fifth District DFL primary has been condemned by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas (JCRC).

The commercial, which aired on at least one local TV station, was created by the candidate, Gary Boisclair. It begins with an image of Ellison’s 2007 ceremonial swearing in, when he placed his hand on a copy of the Koran, which belonged to Thomas Jefferson.

Boisclair narrates the commercial: “Congressman Ellison swore an oath to uphold the Constitution on a Koran. 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. 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?”

In a statement sent to the Jewish World on Aug. 8, Steve Hunegs, JCRC executive director, condemned Boisclair’s attack on Ellison, which he termed a “hateful political attack ad focusing on… Ellison’s religion. The ad rings in character impugnment tied to religious faith and not Representative Ellison’s actions as a public official.”

Hunegs said that Ellison is “a friend to the Jewish community and we have enjoyed a strong working relationship with him since he assumed office” in 2007. The JCRC director also pointed out that the U.S. Constitution “guarantees that ‘no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.’”

“Mr. Boisclair’s television ads are clearly designed to divide Minnesotans and spread fear,” Ellison campaign manager Will Hailer told the Star Tribune. “With his official residence listed in West Virginia, it’s not surprising that Mr. Boisclair’s views are out of touch with Minnesota values. Conversely, Representative Ellison is a proud advocate for inclusion, dialogue and a woman’s right to access comprehensive reproductive health care.”

Ellison has been subjected to similar attacks based on his religion by previous political challengers. More recently, Rep. Michele Bachmann, who represents Minnesota Sixth District in the U.S. House, alleged that Ellison had ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and Islamist extremists.

• Dear JCRC, By standing by the Muslim Rep. Ellison, you do a great disservice to your Jewish brothers and sisters in Israel, who are constantly under threat from the "peaceful" Muslims, Hezbollah. Think about it. Such cowardice on your part only fuels the violence against Jews and Christians world wide by the "peaceful" Muslims. Mr. Ellison supports and gives cover for Hezbollah, and the Muslim Brotherhood. Does that not mean anything to you? - by Gary Boisclair For Congress on Fri, 08/10/2012 - 10:57am
  • Wolfgang, you display great immaturity, and your language is impolite, disrespectful, abusive. - by Gary Boisclair For Congress on Sat, 08/11/2012 - 9:59am
• Hunegs said that Ellison is “a friend to the Jewish community and we have enjoyed a strong working relationship with him since he assumed office” in 2007. [...] I have no reason to disagree with Mr. Hunegs. While he calls the candidacy legitimate, Boisclair is realistic about his chances of beating Ellison in the primary. "In this round I don't know if my chances are all that great. I'm not delusional. " [...] KARE News. I would also agree, in part, with Mr. Boisclair's assessment: "In this round I don't know if my chances are all that great..." We already have one such religious bigot currently holding the Sixth Congressional District seat, Minnesota can do nicely without another. - by Jack Boardman on Sat, 08/11/2012 - 9:08pm
• When the United States first came to be back in 1776, our country never menaced or quarreled with any of the Muslim powers. But wait! Muslims were now attacking and enslaving our citizens since our merchant fleet lost protection from the British Navy. When Thomas Jefferson and John Adams asked the Libyan diplomate as to WHY MUSLIMS were attacking, killing and enslaving Americans, both of these future Presidents were shocked with his answer! With Koran in hand, Jefferson later reported back to the State Department and Congress and said,, "The Ambassador answered us that it was founded on the Laws of their Prophet, that it was written in their Koran, that all nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make WAR upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as Prisoners." Again, Jefferson asked the Libyan Ambassador for a copy of the Koran so he could better understand why these people wish to enslave, fight and KILL us. This is the SAME copy that made its way to his very own personal library. The SAME Koran that Ellison took his oath! It is the very Koran that convinced soon to be President Jefferson that we MUST fight and take the WAR back to these MUSLIMS. This is why Jefferson dispatached our newly formed Marines..."to the shores of Tripoli" which is today parts of the U.S, Marine Hymn. Sing it with me! - by Ed Zak on Mon, 08/13/2012 - 7:31pm
• "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."... REALLY? This is a completely false and ignorant statement! I hope most Minnesotans know better than to accept this hateful accusation and, therefore, do not even consider voting for Mr. Boisclair! - by Eissa Abdul Wadud on Sat, 03/02/2013 - 8:59am
  • Rep. @[1137445678:2048:Keith Ellison] was reelected last November. Mn05 will continue to be in good hands for another two years. - by Jack Boardman on Sat, 03/02/2013 - 10:15am
  • Awww poor rich guy in that expensive suit. :-( Hard to believe there's people stupid enough to think the system is for them. - by Muhammed Jafar on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 2:14am