U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, the star witness in opposition to a congressional hearing on radical Islam in March, spoke out again on Wednesday against a follow-up hearing on Muslim radicalization in U.S. prisons. The Minnesota Democrat, once again taking aim at House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Peter King, R-N.Y., said Wednesday's hearing continued to stigmatize Muslims and casts suspicion on Islamic prison outreach programs. "As someone with 16 years of experience as a criminal defense attorney, I know that religious instruction, including Islamic instruction, has had a beneficial impact on many inmates," Ellison said. "Churches and mosques run prison-outreach programs, and prisons have generally been supportive of such initiatives. Many inmates report that studying Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, or Judaism has helped them become law-abiding and more productive citizens."
