Ellison, calling protesters’ grievances ‘legitimate,’ urges Egypt to stop using violence
Friday, January 28, 2011 at 4:17 pm
- 25 Comments
With violence escalating in Egypt, where protesters are taking to the street in opposition to government corruption, unemployment and poverty, Rep. Keith Ellison has released a statement urging Egyptian authorities to stop using force against its citizenry, which the Minnesota Democrat says have “legitimate grievances.”
Released Friday afternoon, the statement, cosigned by Reps. Jim McDermott (D-WA), and Jim McGovern (D-MA), reads:
We are deeply concerned with the Egyptian government’s use of security forces and violence against demonstrators throughout Egypt. Egyptians are on the streets to address legitimate grievances. Such heavy-handed response will only exacerbate the frustration of these protestors, many of whom are young people who are fed up with the lack of political freedoms, as well as poverty and the lack of other opportunities. We call on the Government of Egypt to stop using violence against its own people; allow the free flow of information over the Internet, phone networks and in the media; immediately release Mohamed ElBaradei and all others wrongly detained; and allow reforms toward a more democratic election process.
We fully support the Obama administration’s resolve to stand with the people of Egypt and we encourage the Obama administration to escalate its call for political and economic reforms in Egypt. U.S. Congress will carefully observe the situation in Egypt in the upcoming days, particularly in order to ensure that no U.S. assistance or equipment is used in the violent suppression of peaceful protests.
Follow updates on the protests at AlJazeera’s liveblog.
25 Comments
Comment posted January 29, 2011 @ 12:01 am
Wish Ellison had condemned and spoke out against the violence by various law enforcement during the RNC 2008. Wish he had especially condemned the raids and arrests of the young people that became to be called the RNC 8.
Wish Ellison had condemned the actions of out of control and corrupt Ramsey County Sheriff Fletcher. Wish Ellison had supported an investigation into his dept and that of the FBI.
Comment posted January 29, 2011 @ 5:30 am
This isn’t surprising. Ellison has a close relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood, who according to intelligence analysts is behind this uprising.
They’re the people who assassinated Anwar Sadat and helped bin Laden create al-Qaeda.
They also paid for Ellison’s two trips to Mecca.
Comment posted January 29, 2011 @ 7:57 pm
Go Dennis! Are they praying to the wrong god on the bridge in the middle of all this? Must be just a ploy, backed by Ellison in his command center in North Minneapolis. Intelligence analysts, our leading lights, such an impressive performance of late, and so cost effective. Careful Dennis they actually have resumes. That’s french.
Comment posted January 29, 2011 @ 9:41 pm
The young and the clueless praised the overthrow of the Shah of Iran too.
Morons.
Comment posted January 30, 2011 @ 1:36 am
“Ellison has a close relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood”
Prove it Dennis.
Comment posted January 30, 2011 @ 8:35 am
Dennis –
Who paid for the Bachmann Family trips to Israel?
Comment posted January 30, 2011 @ 12:44 pm
thomas –
Israel’s mission isn’t to destroy the United States.
This isn’t about money, this is about affiliation. Ellison is affiliated with a known terrorist group.
Comment posted January 31, 2011 @ 11:38 am
Wow. Never thought I’d see the day when Dennis throws his lot in with a dictator over democracy.
Dennis, there is absolutely no evidence that the Muslim Brotherhood is behind the protests in Egypt.
Comment posted January 31, 2011 @ 12:38 pm
David, I’m not a big fan of democracy when 90% of the population wants to kill the infidels. That’s mob rule.
Comment posted January 31, 2011 @ 12:44 pm
LA Times
January 30, 2011 1:13 pm
One of the senior leaders of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, which wants to establish an Islamist state in the Arab world’s most populous nation, told the Associated Press he was heading to Tahrir (or Liberation) Square to meet with other opposition leaders Sunday.
“You can call this a revolution, you can call this an uprising,” Essam el-Erian said.
Comment posted January 31, 2011 @ 1:20 pm
“Democracy for me but not for thee.” Never understand you clearer, Dennis. All your cr*p about “freedom and democracy,” is just that.
Also, big difference between MB trying to jump in and take advantage of an uprising, and being the moving force behind it.
It’s been almost a week now, and there has been no Islamist underpinnings to the protests in Egypt. Maybe you missed it while watching FOX, but Muslims have been protecting Copts from attacks, and Christians have been protecting Muslims during prayers.
Comment posted January 31, 2011 @ 3:38 pm
“Democracy for me but not for thee.”
Without being a constitutional republic that protects the rights of the minority from the tyranny of the majority, “democracy” is nothing more than mob rule.
You’ll notice the Egyptians don’t even have the right to bear arms. They’re defending their property with clubs and knives.
Comment posted January 31, 2011 @ 4:30 pm
“Without being a constitutional republic that protects the rights of the minority from the tyranny of the majority, “democracy” is nothing more than mob rule.”
1. Democracy is more or less what they’re protesting for.
2. A Constitutional republic is not the only form of government that can protect the rights of minorities.
3. We already know you don’t believe in protection of the rights of minorities form the tyranny of the majority. Just look at your comments in any story regarding the rights of gays in this country, for starters.
Comment posted January 31, 2011 @ 4:38 pm
4. I’ll also say that your fears over the Society of Muslim Brothers is overblown. http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2011/01/31/muslim_brotherhood
5. Iran, 1979 is not the only conceivable fate for Egypt. They could follow the path of Indonesia after Suharta, or the Phillipines after Marcos.
Even Iran, 1979 wasn’t pre-ordained. The movement that forced out the Shah also included pro-democracy and other liberal elements. The West could have supported those, but didn’t because we had thrown our lot in with the brutal, corrupt Shah. That gave the Islamist movement the opportunity to squeeze the others out.
And of course, we probably could have avoided that mess entirely if we hadn’t overthrown democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh in 1953.
Comment posted January 31, 2011 @ 5:20 pm
Just like the Iranian Islamists did in 1979, they took advantage of a weak U.S. president to make their move. The spread of the MB uprising across the middle east is taking advantage of a weak Obama.
It’s strange that the only people who seem to recognize and care about the peril that Israel is in because of all of this are the Christians in this society. American ‘s liberal jews are either stupid or complicit.
Comment posted January 31, 2011 @ 6:43 pm
Dennis, it’s not a “Muslim Brotherhood” uprising. Tunisia is much further along in this process, and there’s still no involvement of the SMB.
You still haven’t provided a shred of evidence that the SMB has instigated any of these, let alone that these were in response to your imagined “weak US President.”
There haven’t been any “death to America” or “Death to Israel” rallies. These protests are springing from domestic issues like unemployment, health care, concentration of wealth, political corruption, and more.
Comment posted January 31, 2011 @ 11:15 pm
Dennis
Really, you answer a question with a link to jihadwatch?? Really?? What is the difference between what you believe jihad is and the crusades??
Comment posted February 1, 2011 @ 7:20 am
You know John, when they come for the liberals and the jews and the gays, it’ll be people like me who will be the only ones willing and able to save your ass.
Comment posted February 1, 2011 @ 9:04 am
Nonsense, Dennis. That would mean getting up from the computer.
Comment posted February 1, 2011 @ 11:33 am
Dennis
What is the difference between what you believe jihad to stand for and the crusades? Also, do you follow the dual seed line belief of christianity?
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