Keith Ellison in the Sunday NY Times

[lsanderson]

October 8, 2006
Democrat Poised to Become First Muslim in Congress
By NEIL MacFARQUHAR

MINNEAPOLIS — Keith Ellison, the Democratic candidate for Congress here, strode among the stalls of exotically printed fabric, telephone cards and sweet tea at a Somali mall, shaking hands with his fellow Muslims.

“The community showed up big!” Mr. Ellison, 43, said, dispensing hugs as he thanked the many immigrant Somalis whose votes had helped him beat six other candidates in a primary race in September.

Mr. Ellison, a stocky criminal defense lawyer who converted to Islam in college, is expected by experts to make history on Election Day by becoming the first Muslim elected to Congress, as well as the first black representative from Minnesota.

“If he wins, he will take the oath of office on a Koran,” Ali Ahmed, a social services worker, said as he wandered through the Karmel Square mall, a popular shopping and social destination for Somali immigrants.

“Our main concern is that Muslims are treated differently from Christians,” Mr. Ahmed said. “So he can show that we are all the same people.”

The Fifth Congressional District is a Democratic citadel. The last Republican to represent it lost re-election in 1962. More