Rep. Keith Ellison Calls for Creating and Maintaining Positive Relationships With Muslims in America

After the deadly terrorist attacks last week in Belgium, Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison is emphasizing that “the greater majority of [U.S.] terrorist attacks are not by Muslims at all. They’re by [non-Muslims] like Timothy McVeigh.” Indeed, he said, many attacks in this country have been averted by members of the Muslim community.

A representative of an ethnically diverse district in Minnesota and the first Muslim elected to Congress, Ellison underlined the importance of creating a “greater amount of integration” with Muslim communities. He made the comments during an interview by MSNBC’s Chris Hayes.

Saying that “the greater majority of Americans know and understand that panic and scapegoating is not going to make us safer,” Ellison accused GOP presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ted Cruz of escalating tensions because of their campaign rhetoric. Ellison said it’s important to remember, in the current Islamophobic environment, that pointing fingers at Muslims is not the answer.

“There’s reports out there that have shown that just as many as a third of the attacks, or potential attacks, have been reported and thwarted by Muslims,” Ellison said. “The greater majority of terrorist attacks are not by Muslims at all. They’re by people like Timothy McVeigh.”

Ellison, a co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, appeared Tuesday on “The Laura Flanders Show” and discussed the lack of support for Bernie Sanders’ presidential candidacy within the caucus.

Watch Ellison’s MSNBC interview below.