The first American Muslim in the U.S. Congress called on Jewish groups to engage with a controversial American Muslim body. “If CAIR is willing to talk, talk to CAIR,” Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) said of the Council on American Islamic Relations. His address Tuesday to the Reform Movement’s Consultation on Conscience conference in Washington was the first speech to a national Jewish group for Ellison, who emphasized that he does not share all of CAIR’s views. The organization is among the harshest critics of Israel, and in the 1990s defended Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist organization. It has muted such support since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, but still will not condemn Palestinian terrorist attacks as it does attacks by al-Qaida. Ellison spoke positively of his recent tour of Israel, the Palestinian areas and Syria.
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