Flashback: Tim Walz Called Hitler-Promoting Cleric a ‘Master Teacher’ at Islamic Center Event

I m a husband ░░░░░░░░ I am a father ░░░░░░░░ two beautiful children and ░░░░░░░░ is Peggy Flanigan uh ░░░░░░░░ state legislator a mother ░░░░░░░░ and we are running ░░░░░░░░ as governor and lieutenant ░░░░░░░░ I would like to ░░░░░░░░ first of all say ░░░░░░░░ you to Imam uh ░░░░░░░░ am a teacher so ░░░░░░░░ I see a master ░░░░░░░░ I know it and ░░░░░░░░ over the time we ░░░░░░░░ together one of the ░░░░░░░░ uh one of the ░░░░░░░░ I ve had the ░░░░░░░░ of is seeing the ░░░░░░░░ in life through the ░░░░░░░░ of a master teacher ░░░░░░░░ try and get the ░░░░░░░░ listening today to the ░░░░░░░░ and what it means ░░░░░░░░ there were there were ░░░░░░░░ examples of this and ░░░░░░░░ last summer and many ░░░░░░░░ you were probably there ░░░░░░░░ there s so many ░░░░░░░░ that we re proud ░░░░░░░░ Minnesota the things we ░░░░░░░░ about it but most ░░░░░░░░ all it s the ░░░░░░░░ we have beautiful lakes ░░░░░░░░ have beautiful opportunities but ░░░░░░░░ think of the people ░░░░░░░░ the goodness of people ░░░░░░░░ so last summer after ░░░░░░░░ the Cowardly terrorist attack ░░░░░░░░ darl Farooq motans gathered ░░░░░░░░ and um thinking of ░░░░░░░░ here as long as ░░░░░░░░ have and in that ░░░░░░░░ it looked more like ░░░░░░░░ than I d ever ░░░░░░░░ it it felt more ░░░░░░░░ Minnesota than I ve ░░░░░░░░ seen it and it ░░░░░░░░ like who we are ░░░░░░░░ than we d ever ░░░░░░░░ it and uh and ░░░░░░░░ was imom talking in ░░░░░░░░ times is where we ░░░░░░░░ who we are in ░░░░░░░░ times is where we ░░░░░░░░ see um and I ░░░░░░░░ as a community you ░░░░░░░░ Minnesota you have made ░░░░░░░░ better you are my ░░░░░░░░ uh you are my ░░░░░░░░ children s friends you ░░░░░░░░ the people who built ░░░░░░░░ Great tapestry that is ░░░░░░░░ and I think as ░░░░░░░░ elected official one thing ░░░░░░░░ especially you don t ░░░░░░░░ me to give you ░░░░░░░░ sermon but you should ░░░░░░░░ me to try and ░░░░░░░░ one and I ve ░░░░░░░░ my life working I ░░░░░░░░ a cultural geography teacher ░░░░░░░░ I ve talked about ░░░░░░░░ great diversity of the ░░░░░░░░ I ve lived and ░░░░░░░░ time in China I ░░░░░░░░ traveled extensively around the ░░░░░░░░ and I tried to ░░░░░░░░ my students to the ░░░░░░░░ diversity that s the ░░░░░░░░ and that included talking ░░░░░░░░ uh comparative religions and ░░░░░░░░ our people believe and ░░░░░░░░ spirituality that makes us ░░░░░░░░ human um and that ░░░░░░░░ a key piece of ░░░░░░░░ and at a time ░░░░░░░░ imom right uh the ░░░░░░░░ may not be fair ░░░░░░░░ that doesn t mean ░░░░░░░░ we shouldn t try ░░░░░░░░ make it a little ░░░░░░░░ it doesn t mean ░░░░░░░░ shouldn t try and ░░░░░░░░ in that space to ░░░░░░░░ it a little better ░░░░░░░░ when our neighbors are ░░░░░░░░ when our fellow citizens ░░░░░░░░ hurting it s at ░░░░░░░░ time that you expect ░░░░░░░░ best out of us ░░░░░░░░ that brings me to ░░░░░░░░ second lesson that the ░░░░░░░░ taught me I I ░░░░░░░░ southern Minnesota and the ░░░░░░░░ States Congress and I ░░░░░░░░ not telling you anything ░░░░░░░░ here but Congress is ░░░░░░░░ very broken place right ░░░░░░░░ um it is a ░░░░░░░░ that feeds on fear ░░░░░░░░ than hope it s ░░░░░░░░ place that Fe feeds ░░░░░░░░ division more than Unity ░░░░░░░░ s a place that ░░░░░░░░ on trying to find ░░░░░░░░ be the other than ░░░░░░░░ be my brother and ░░░░░░░░ understood that and I ░░░░░░░░ a lifetime making sure ░░░░░░░░ all were welcome that ░░░░░░░░ children were educated that ░░░░░░░░ had access to health ░░░░░░░░ and um and for ░░░░░░░░ and I ve talked ░░░░░░░░ this with people because ░░░░░░░░ believe I let myself ░░░░░░░░ but more importantly it ░░░░░░░░ a lesson when Iman ░░░░░░░░ told me to go ░░░░░░░░ to people some of ░░░░░░░░ are very clear about ░░░░░░░░ I have pushed back ░░░░░░░░ my whole career on ░░░░░░░░ demonization of Islam on ░░░░░░░░ demonization of immigrants but ░░░░░░░░ of you remember back ░░░░░░░░ November of 2015 after ░░░░░░░░ London or the Paris ░░░░░░░░ um there was an ░░░░░░░░ to tighten the restrictions ░░░░░░░░ Syrian refugees the very ░░░░░░░░ who needed us the ░░░░░░░░ the very people that ░░░░░░░░ ve supported in my ░░░░░░░░ and resettled and I ░░░░░░░░ of the belief that ░░░░░░░░ direction the country was ░░░░░░░░ was one that we ░░░░░░░░ to ensure our neighbors ░░░░░░░░ how safe that system ░░░░░░░░ understood that if you ░░░░░░░░ here as a refugee ░░░░░░░░ Syria you were a ░░░░░░░░ person who was going ░░░░░░░░ be here was going ░░░░░░░░ do and it was ░░░░░░░░ responsibility to help our ░░░░░░░░ and sister and so ░░░░░░░░ heart was in the ░░░░░░░░ place to try and ░░░░░░░░ for a piece of ░░░░░░░░ and many did that ░░░░░░░░ a little more layer ░░░░░░░░ that and while it ░░░░░░░░ t the legislation itself ░░░░░░░░ didn t stop anybody ░░░░░░░░ wouldn t have stopped ░░░░░░░░ system I learned uh ░░░░░░░░ this lesson and talk ░░░░░░░░ about it and it ░░░░░░░░ one that I feel ░░░░░░░░ I m deeply sorry ░░░░░░░░ you whether you heard ░░░░░░░░ or not I was ░░░░░░░░ a young woman in ░░░░░░░░ St Paul at a ░░░░░░░░ festival a beautiful summer ░░░░░░░░ and we were talking ░░░░░░░░ young Muslim woman and ░░░░░░░░ said Congressman I know ░░░░░░░░ heart you ve always ░░░░░░░░ with it you re ░░░░░░░░ good man on that ░░░░░░░░ I knew what you ░░░░░░░░ doing I knew you ░░░░░░░░ trying to do it ░░░░░░░░ the right reasons she ░░░░░░░░ but what I needed ░░░░░░░░ than a vote is ░░░░░░░░ needed a friend to ░░░░░░░░ with me at that ░░░░░░░░ I needed you to ░░░░░░░░ there again in that ░░░░░░░░ because it s your ░░░░░░░░ that people are listening ░░░░░░░░ it s your voice ░░░░░░░░ s reflecting upon our ░░░░░░░░ and um I think ░░░░░░░░ lesson from that and ░░░░░░░░ as we talked um ░░░░░░░░ Renewed commitment by myself ░░░░░░░░ uh and Peggy Flanigan ░░░░░░░░ been um a champion ░░░░░░░░ equality a champion of ░░░░░░░░ and really to be ░░░░░░░░ honest in this space ░░░░░░░░ s is right on ░░░░░░░░ um there is there ░░░░░░░░ islamophobia there is a ░░░░░░░░ that is being stirred ░░░░░░░░ are people in leadership ░░░░░░░░ that are making the ░░░░░░░░ worse and it s ░░░░░░░░ that space more than ░░░░░░░░ that those of us ░░░░░░░░ know better those of ░░░░░░░░ who attempt to live ░░░░░░░░ sermon need to redouble ░░░░░░░░ efforts and to speak ░░░░░░░░ so um I am ░░░░░░░░ Peggy is grateful for ░░░░░░░░ chance to be in ░░░░░░░░ of you um the ░░░░░░░░ to understand that our ░░░░░░░░ whether whether you know ░░░░░░░░ or not whether you ░░░░░░░░ in the districts or ░░░░░░░░ ballots for us or ░░░░░░░░ our responsibility is to ░░░░░░░░ you and to hear ░░░░░░░░ taking the message to ░░░░░░░░ motans you are our ░░░░░░░░ you are our fellow ░░░░░░░░ your right to be ░░░░░░░░ is your right to ░░░░░░░░ here and it s ░░░░░░░░ for us to make ░░░░░░░░ uh to make that ░░░░░░░░ and so um I ░░░░░░░░ grateful for you to ░░░░░░░░ here um I m ░░░░░░░░ for the opportunity to ░░░░░░░░ to share and learn ░░░░░░░░ I m grateful for ░░░░░░░░ diversity and the joy ░░░░░░░░ you bring to Minnesota ░░░░░░░░ I am deeply sorry ░░░░░░░░ your children have to ░░░░░░░░ some of the things ░░░░░░░░ they see just because ░░░░░░░░ who they are but ░░░░░░░░ someone who knows my ░░░░░░░░ my pledge to you ░░░░░░░░ is to at least ░░░░░░░░ every day to make ░░░░░░░░ feel a little more ░░░░░░░░ my uh religious Heritage ░░░░░░░░ demands of me to ░░░░░░░░ welcoming to that stranger ░░░░░░░░ be welcoming to that ░░░░░░░░ be welcoming to those ░░░░░░░░ us to help those ░░░░░░░░ need help and to ░░░░░░░░ the good neighbor that ░░░░░░░░ know we should be ░░░░░░░░ um to each of ░░░░░░░░ and your families um ░░░░░░░░ peace be upon you ░░░░░░░░ thank you for having ░░░░░░░░ here might easier it ░░░░░░░░ probably symbolic yes uh ░░░░░░░░ afternoon Peggy Flanigan my ░░░░░░░░ is Peggy Flanigan I ░░░░░░░░ a citizen of the ░░░░░░░░ Earth nation of oju ░░░░░░░░ is the largest tribe ░░░░░░░░ in Minnesota um I ░░░░░░░░ honored sorry go um ░░░░░░░░ going to hold it ░░░░░░░░ I m honored and ░░░░░░░░ to be here with ░░░░░░░░ uh today uh thank ░░░░░░░░ so much for inviting ░░░░░░░░ in um and thank ░░░░░░░░ Iman for the stories ░░░░░░░░ that you uh you ░░░░░░░░ with us today it ░░░░░░░░ actually exactly what my ░░░░░░░░ needed to hear in ░░░░░░░░ moment of while there ░░░░░░░░ um there are folks ░░░░░░░░ there are people who ░░░░░░░░ do bad things um ░░░░░░░░ our job and our ░░░░░░░░ is to continue to ░░░░░░░░ kindness uh to one ░░░░░░░░ and especially in this ░░░░░░░░ uh that we find ░░░░░░░░ uh that is uh ░░░░░░░░ now more than ever ░░░░░░░░ um I serve in ░░░░░░░░ state legislature and have ░░░░░░░░ proud to be able ░░░░░░░░ stand uh with the ░░░░░░░░ Community uh we will ░░░░░░░░ to do that as ░░░░░░░░ American Indian woman um ░░░░░░░░ know uh the kind ░░░░░░░░ uh tension and othering ░░░░░░░░ can happen uh in ░░░░░░░░ communities and I think ░░░░░░░░ are stronger when we ░░░░░░░░ together and I am ░░░░░░░░ happy to continue to ░░░░░░░░ that and work in ░░░░░░░░ with you to make ░░░░░░░░ Minnesota a more fair ░░░░░░░░ and Equitable place so ░░░░░░░░ G many thanks uh ░░░░░░░░ having us here today ░░░░░░░░ I look forward to ░░░░░░░░ work that we can ░░░░░░░░ together thank you [Music]