Why did Hillary return "Muslim Money" in 2000 & refuse to meet with Arab & Muslim groups?

[Karmadillo]

It's not something her present campaign has been TRUMPeting, but I wonder if anyone knows why shunning Muslims and Arabs was so important to her?

http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/05/25/layers-of-islamophobia-do-liberals-care-that-hillary-returned-muslim-money/

MAY 25, 2016
Layers of Islamophobia: Do Liberals Care That Hillary Returned “Muslim Money”?
by SAM HUSSEINI

At a news conference on Tuesday, I asked Reps. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) and André Carson (D-Ind.) about Hillary Clinton’s having returned money from Muslims and refusing to meet with Arab and Muslim groups in her 2000 Senate run.

Rep. Ellison indicated he didn’t know about the controversy and — while stressing his backing for Sen. Bernie Sanders, argued that Clinton was someone who has done outreach to the Muslim community. Carson lauded her as the “most traveled” secretary of state.

Ellison and Carson, Congress’ only Muslim members, spoke at the at National Press Club to discuss “Islamophobia and Hateful Rhetoric Directed At Muslims.” [See video of their response, full video (33:00) and transcript below.]

Their opening remarks focused on Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Ben Carson, Newt Gingrich, Peter King — all Republicans.

I had gone into the event wanting to question the manner in which they spoke — or declined to speak — about U.S. foreign policy. More on that later.

But, their emphasis on Republican transgressions, some going back to previous election cycles, I thought it important to raise the issue of Clinton’s actions and asked if there wasn’t anti-Muslim sentiment in the Democratic Party as well.

more...

[Scootaloo]

1. Well...

She always seems very eager to use violence against Muslim-majority states. And comes off as extremely indifferent to the impact that has on the people affected. There's the whole idea of treating American Muslims as terrorism informants, too, that she brought up in a few of the debates, which raises my eyebrow. And here on DU, all of our resident islamophobes - literally all of 'em - have jumped on the Clinton train.

Does all that make Clinton an Islamophobe? Well. I can't see into a person's heart. But she does strike me as someone who views Muslims as objects to be acted on rather than people to be worked with. Whether it's hate on her part, indiffernece, or just political expediency, I dunno.

[Skwmom]

2. Don't worry, Clinton will be there for you as long as it's to her political advantage.

[procon]

3. Why, you ask? You know this stuff is available for anyone to lookup, yeah?

"The groups acknowledge that they have some members with extreme views on Israel,"

http://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/26/nyregion/mrs-clinton-says-she-will-return-money-raised-by-a-muslim-group.html?pagewanted=all



So there you have it -- say, thank you -- and now you know why it's important to kill off these groundless conspiracy theories before they that root in the heads of impressionable people. So why didn't you factcheck this false assertion before posting?

[vintx]

5. Makes me wonder if any groups with members who hold extreme views on Palestine have made donations

[auntpurl]

4. Seriously, wtf is this post?

I try to be polite, I try to be inclusive. But this is just awful baseless right wing nonsense.

[oasis]

6. Muslim super delegates will now flock to Bernie.