Rep. Carson's 'madrassa' comment goes viral - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Eyewitness News is taking a closer look at a speech from a local lawmaker that's gone viral.

From Facebook to YouTube, some people are upset with Congressman André Carson (D-IN07) for saying American schools should be more like Islamic ones. Carson is Muslim. But did the comments that spread like wildfire across the internet tell the whole story?

"America will never tap into education, innovation and ingenuity without looking at the model that we have in our madrassas, our schools where innovation is encouraged, where the foundation is the Koran," Carson said.

That's what generated all the controversy online. Rep. Carson also said, "We need an educational model that is current, that meets the needs of our students."

The comments were part of a 19-minute speech on the state of the American family delivered to an Islamic group in May. Carson also talked about the contributions of Muslim-Americans while condemning terrorism and Islamophobia. So, why the backlash?

"The clips are out of context and they don't provide the background," said Brian Vargus, a political consultant who works for Democrats and Republicans. He says no matter who the public figure is, most people don't take the time to get the whole story.

"If you look at the message, Congressman Carson seems to have a message that may well be worth thinking about," Vargus said.

In a statement Carson said, "No particular faith should be the foundation of our public schools," but given the success of many-faith based schools, he said, "it's important we take note of the instructional tools these schools utilize to empower their young people."

Carson has not apologized, and Vargus says he has no reason to.

"He's merely saying there are many religions; this is mine and we should take ideas from all of them and implement them into our school problem," said Vargus.

Vargus says the response is another example of just how polarized American society has become.