Muslim reaction to Keith Ellison victory

BY CHAZ DAVIS

Minneapolis has received the world’s attention with Keith Ellison’s victory on Nov. 7. The international media, from Malaysia to the Middle East, has suddenly become interested in our unusual city on the Mississippi.

Much of the attention has been focused on Ellison’s religion, a convert to Islam at the age of 19. He will be the first and only Muslim in Congress.
Although this country prides itself on the separation of church (or mosque) and state, its ties to the Judeo-Christian tradition remain strong. At a time when the Islamic world tends to be demonized as violently radical in American politics and media, pressure is being placed on Ellison to represent Muslim America—a nearly impossible mission.

Muslim-Americans represent a diverse population with very distinct backgrounds and values, ranging from African-Americans, to Indians, to Pakistanis, to Somalis. Yet in speaking with local Muslim representatives from around Ellison’s Minnesota district, there seems to be a general excitement about Ellison’s victory, regardless of political views. In the words of a member of the Al-Taqwa mosque in the 5th District, “I can’t speak for the entire Muslim community, but we were elated.”

The head of the local chapter of Free Muslims Against Terrorism, Mohamed Amin Ahmed, believes there is broad support for Ellison from the Muslim community, regardless of political orientation. “We are proud of him. I’m a Republican, and I can say that.” Ahmed came to Minnesota from Somalia, and stated that the Somali community in Minnesota is split between Democrats and Republicans, but most of them chose to vote for Ellison regardless of political affiliation. For many Somali Muslims who came as refugees, this may have been their first vote ever cast. “My father has never voted before in his life. He had me push him three blocks in his wheelchair so he could vote ... There are six members of my family, and all six voted for Ellison.”

Ahmed makes a strong case for the values of the Muslim community being, for the most part, the same as the larger 5th District, and even the U.S. They are worried about the minimum wage, health care for their elderly, safe schools for their children, and international security.

Ahmed states their social values tend to align more with conservatives as well, which may make them a future Republican constituency. He feels that putting a Muslim in Congress sends a message to the world that the Islamic faith and democracy do not have to conflict with one another, and hopes it will inspire his native Somalia.

One local Arab Muslim who lives in Ellison’s district had an Ellison sign up on election day. He checks Arabic news from Egypt frequently, and recently read about Ellison’s victory in his local hometown paper online. “Even the local media in Egypt is talking about Minnesota,” he explained. “Before the election, no one had heard of Minnesota, now everyone is excited about it.” Requesting anonymity, he explained that although he can’t speak for all Muslims, he thinks that in general most feel it is a good thing to have him in office, whatever their political views. “It will be good to have his presence on TV, in the media,” he relates. Politically, however, he doesn’t think it will make much of a difference, as he is just one representative from one district. He also believes that most Muslims did not vote for him for his political views, but because he was a Muslim.
Sumbal Mahmud, the communications director for the Islamic Center of Minnesota, does not live in the 5th District, but she is hopeful that Muslims did not vote for Ellison just because of his religious views. “He does not speak for all Muslims,” clarifies Mahmud, but she is hopeful that he will set a precedent for underrepresented minorities in Congress. “Muslim-Americans are happy for the opportunity to see pluralism at work. It could be sociopolitical, geographical, or religious. There’s a fear in this country that Muslims want the U.S. to be overrun by Islamic law, and that’s not true.” According to Mahmud, Ellison’s election is seen as part of a broader sentiment within the Muslim-American community, a push for leadership within a marginalized group. “There’s a strong desire in the Muslim community to have Muslims in leadership roles. As an average Muslim-American my voice is not being heard. For example, whenever there’s something bad that goes on related to Muslims, you can’t get it out of the news. But when we had a peace vigil with Jews and Christians at our center, we couldn’t get any media coverage.”

The national media will most likely be paying close attention to Ellison in his new office, especially considering his religion, and his performance may affect the future of Muslim-Americans in Congress and other political offices. Mahmud states that the Islamic Center supports the voices of marginalized groups being heard, regardless of political or religious affiliation, and Ellison’s victory gives “hope for the next generation of Muslim-Americans to not be excluded from the political process.” Having a Muslim in Congress will also give politicians of the Judeo-Christian tradition a chance to demonstrate their ability to work with people of other faiths, an opportunity that will be one step closer as a Muslim enters the halls of Congress as a colleague for the first time.