Steven Loeb | Mar. 12, 2011, 12:00 PM | 1,494 | 9

OKAY, SO MAHER DOES NOT KNOW THE DETAILED SURAHS AND HADITHS THAT THE EXPERTS DO, AND HE CAN’T REALLY CHALLENGE ELLISON’S BARRAGE OF LIES BUT BECAUSE MAHER IS POPULAR AND GENERALLY A LIBERAL HE DELIVERS A REAL PUNCH….GOOD FOR HIM!!! RSK

Last night, Muslim Congressman Keith Ellison appeared On Real Time With Bill Maher and, at first, the two were on the same page, talking about Peter King and his hearings on Muslim radicalization and how he should have had some actual experts testify.

But then things kind of went off the rails when Maher called radicalized Muslim “a unique and greater threat” than groups like right wing militias and anti-abortion groups because it is “a culture that is in its medieval era.”

He also pointed to al-Qaeda’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and the use of suicide bombers as reasons for them being a greater threat.

As you would imagine Ellison — who broke down in tears during his testimony at the hearings the other day —  took issue with Maher’s comments.

“I think that you should investigate this issue a little more because you’re lumping together things that shouldn’t be lumped together and you’re casting a very wide net and therefore coming to the wrong conclusions.”

Maher agreed that the “vast, vast giant majority of Muslims are not the problem. We’re talking about a very small percentage, but it just takes one.”

Then Maher began to attack the Koran itself, calling it a “hate-filled holy book…which is taken very literally by its people.”

“There is obviously something going on that they’re getting from the Koran.”

When Ellison tried to defend his religious text, calling it “complex” and pointing out that terrorists “”take things out of context to do what they want to do” Maher told him, “I’ve heard this many times and I don’t buy it.”

“Am I getting the wrong translation? ‘Cause that’s what every Muslim always tells me. There’s a lot of bad translations then.”

This is pretty surprising talk coming from Bill Maher, who usually comes down on the more liberal side of issues. In fact, during parts of this interview it was almost like listening to Rush Limbaugh.

Video below: