--- description: Congressman Keith Ellison took GOP presidential candidates Ben Carson and Donald Trump to task Sunday title: Ben Carson's Comments on Islam Slammed by Muslim Congressman image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte882f0cd4ce576bb/698864673c16396ad1459ce5/keith-ellison.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Politics](/section/politics/) ## Politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [2016 Election](/tag/2016-election/) ## 2016 Election Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # What the First Muslim Congressman Had to Say About Ben Carson's Comments on Islam  by [Justin Worland](/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Senior Correspondent Sep 20, 2015 8:17 PM CUT  Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Keith Ellison speak to members of the media during a news conference about private prisons on Capitol Hill in Washington on Sept. 17, 2015. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Keith Ellison speak to members of the media during a news conference about private prisons on Capitol Hill in Washington on Sept. 17, 2015.Alex Wong—Getty Images  by [Justin Worland](/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Senior Correspondent Sep 20, 2015 8:17 PM CUT Congressman Keith Ellison took GOP presidential candidates Ben Carson and Donald Trump to task Sunday for their recent comments critical of the Islamic faith, calling the comments “fear mongering.” In a statement, Ellison referred to Trump and Carson by name, saying they are “out of touch with who we are as a people.” “The freedom of religion is a founding principle of our nation,” Ellison said. “Every American should be disturbed that these national figures are engaging in and tolerating blatant acts of religious bigotry.” Carson [said Sunday ](http://time.com/4041624/ben-carson-muslim-president/ "undefined")on Meet the Press that he does not think a Muslim would be fit to be president. Trump referred to a [Muslim “problem”](http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/week-transcript-donald-trump-sen-marco-rubio/story?id=33879400 "undefined") on Sunday on ABC’s _This Week_ and sidestepped a question on how he would feel about a Muslim president. The comments follow a week of extensive coverage of the role of Islam in American life. In addition to comments from GOP contenders on this topic, media outlets around the world covered a story about 14-year-old Ahmed Mohammed’s arrest after a homemade clock was mistaken for a bomb. Many attributed the mistake to Islamaphobia. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4041782/keith-ellison-ben-carson/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4041782/keith-ellison-ben-carson/"},"headline":"What the First Muslim Congressman Had to Say About Ben Carson's Comments on Islam","datePublished":"2015-09-20T20:17:05.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T11:05:36.941Z","description":"'The freedom of religion is a founding principle of our nation'","url":"https://time.com/4041782/keith-ellison-ben-carson/","keywords":["2016 Election","2016 Election topic"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte882f0cd4ce576bb/698864673c16396ad1459ce5/keith-ellison.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Justin Worland","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/justin-worland/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte882f0cd4ce576bb/698864673c16396ad1459ce5/keith-ellison.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 17: U.S. Sen. 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