Ellison pressures Lowes on American Muslim ad decision
WASHINGTON - Minneapolis Rep. Keith Ellison stepped up his campaign to pressure home supply chain Lowes to reconsider its decision to pull its advertising from the TLC reality TV show All-American Muslim after the company came under criticism from conservative groups.
Ellison was one of 32 House Democrats who sent a letter Wednesday to Lowes CEO Robert Niblock expressing dismay about the company's decision. Ellison is one of two Muslim-Americans serving in Congress.
"[Y]our actions give credibility to the view that we accept discrimination towards Muslims as a nation, which harms our national security by feeding recruitment efforts by extremist Islamic organizations," the letter said.
Lowes pulled its ads from the show after the Florida Family Association issued a petition criticizing the company for airing what it described as "propaganda" because the program didn't depict the Muslim-American community as one "whose agenda poses a clear and present danger to liberties and traditional values that the majority of Americans cherish."
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