| Submit your comments on this article |
| Home Front: Politix |
| Minnesota Democrat becomes first Muslim to win seat in Congress |
| 2006-11-08 |
| Democrat Keith Ellison was elected as the nation's first Muslim member of Congress on Tuesday, easily winning a Minneapolis-area district Republicans had not carried since 1962. Ellison, who is black, is also Minnesota's first nonwhite representative in Washington. He said those things were only of secondary importance. "I think the most important thing about this race is we tried to pull people together on things we all share, things that are important to everyone. We all need peace, and this Iraq policy is dangerous to our country," said Ellison, who has called for immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops. Ellison said his campaign united labor, minority communities, peace activists. "We were able to bring in Muslims, Christians, Jews, Buddhists," he said. "We brought in everybody." Ellison focused on issues that resonate in the urban, liberal-leaning 5th District in Minneapolis. By favoring gay rights and legal abortion, Ellison cut a path away from many Muslims. Hayat Hassan, 30, a single mother and a Muslim, said she voted for Ellison because of his positions on health care and education. "I didn't even know he was a Muslim until one of his campaign workers told me," she said. The seat was thrown open when longtime Rep. Martin Sabo said he would retire after 28 years. The Minneapolis-centered district is the most Democratic-leaning in the state; in 2004 seven of 10 voters went for John Kerry for president. That meant the real battle was the September primary, and Ellison, the endorsed Democrat, beat several strong candidates in that race, including Sabo's former chief of staff Mike Erlandson. Mahdi Bray, executive director of the Muslim American Society, compared an Ellison victory to Edward Brooke's election in 1966 as the first black senator since the 1870s. He said Muslims followed the campaign closely, and that they are more excited about seeing a Muslim in Congress than they are concerned about Ellison's strong liberal views. "We are monotheistic, but we are not monolithic. There are things within our own community that we disagree about," he said. Ellison's views "might be a concern but I think the overall factor of having a Muslim voice in Congress overrides those types of concerns." Ellison's campaign had to deal with reports of overdue parking tickets, late campaign finance reports and unpaid taxes. He also faced questions about anti-Semitism because of past ties with the Nation of Islam, a black Muslim group led by the confrontational Louis Farrakhan. Ellison, a criminal defense attorney who converted to Islam as a college student, denounced Farrakhan, and he won the endorsement of a Minneapolis Jewish newspaper. |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #13 Mahdi Bray, executive director of the Muslim American Society, compared an Ellison victory to Edward Brooke's election in 1966 as the first black senator since the 1870s. Uh-huh. Yeah right. Except for that one little detail that Brooke was black (a race) vs. a Muslim (religion). We are not to have ANY tests regarding religion in order to elect someone to office. It does give me some hope that he's split with the fundies (Islamic) on social issues (Abortion and Gay Rights), except that they have NO stance on abortion like Christians do (Gay Rights is another matter to the jihadis though). |
| Posted by: BA 2006-11-08 14:23 |
| #12 "There are things within our own community that we disagree about" That's what jihad and car bombs are for. Takfir and fatwas for everybody! |
| Posted by: Baba Tutu 2006-11-08 14:04 |
| #11 One would hope that denial has it's limitations. But, Olmert is still in power just yards from the front. How long does it take reality to sink in ? |
| Posted by: wxjames 2006-11-08 13:36 |
| #10 I have to think that Jewish liberal democrats had to feel somewhat of a ill will blowing on their victory celebration today. One would hope. But their numbers are shrinking steadily. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-11-08 13:24 |
| #9 Nancy Pelosi's gonna look great in a burqua... |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2006-11-08 13:12 |
| #8 oops - my bad. Keith Ellison is a terrorist supporter. That any paper would endorse him really baffles me - especially a Jewish one. Nothing good will come of from his new found power and clearly it will embolden the Islamist fanatics both here and abroad. I have to think that Jewish liberal democrats had to feel somewhat of a ill will blowing on their victory celebration today. The Democrats institutional embrace of the not-so-far left's "Get out of Israel" stance is, in light of the rise of anti-semitism we are seeing in Europe, not a good thing at all. But don't feel left out. Christians will also be in for the heated bigots blame game. Just as "get out of Israel" is a socially acceptable way of expressing bigotry towards Jews- heaping blame and hatred toward the Evangelicals has become socially acceptable bigotry towards all Christians. |
| Posted by: anon 2006-11-08 12:47 |
| #7 Minneapolis is also known as Minnihopeless. It's no coincidence that I have been spending a lot of my free time in the last couple of months getting my house ready to sell. |
| Posted by: Mike N. 2006-11-08 12:20 |
| #6 Minneapolis (aka Murderopolis) is in Minnesota. Here in Michigan, we have Dearborn, thanks very much. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2006-11-08 12:04 |
| #5 and he won the endorsement of a Minneapolis Jewish newspaper. Good little Dhimmis. Now die. Powerline did a very detailed expose of exactly who this man is. The paper blacked out ALL of the information. The people in Michigan are in for some rocky times. |
| Posted by: anon 2006-11-08 11:40 |
| #4 I always viewed Minnesota as the Berkeley of the midwest (or mideast if you prefer) with regard to politics. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2006-11-08 11:31 |
| #3 Shit this camel bag was endorsed by the Muslime terrorist over at CAIR and no one in Minnesota said a word! This dirtbag will be funneling intel right to our enemies. One dark day for the North Star State. |
| Posted by: Icerigger 2006-11-08 11:27 |
| #2 Looking forward to the stuffed shirts getting mooned 5 times a day. |
| Posted by: ed 2006-11-08 08:32 |
| #1 Let's see this guy try and call for Congressional prayer breaks five times a day. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-11-08 03:38 |