Posted on 11/13/2006 3:26:06 PM PST by Esther Ruth
November 11, 2006 16:07 PM
First American Muslim Congressman Crashes The Thick Glass Ceiling
By Salmy Hashim
WASHINGTON, Nov 10 (Bernama) -- American Muslims have a lot to celebrate after the Nov 7 mid-term elections that swept Democrats back to the corridors of power. One of their own, Congressman-elect Keith Ellison from Minneapolis, Minnesota, will be bringing the lone Muslim voice to Washington, 217 years after the first US Congress met in Federal Hall, New York.
Back in March 4 1789, with the first president, George Washington, in office, members of the Senate and the House of Representatives were all white Christian anglo-saxon males.
Blacks were still slaves at that time, although the US Constitution, drawn by the founding fathers, who themselves owned slaves, states that "all men are created equal..." Women of any colour were not allowed to run for office nor allowed to vote.
The 110th Congress which will meet in January 2007 will be made up of mostly White males, African Americans, some women -- mostly Christians and some Jews.
For the first time too, the Speaker of the House of Representative will be a woman, Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, a glamorous no-nonsense grandmother from San Francisco, California. And for the first time, a Muslim voice will be heard in the stately Capitol Building.
Americans prefer a secular government, but when it comes time to be sworn in, newly-elected or newly-appointed officials normally place their right hands on the holy Bible, the Torah for Jewish officials.
Ellison, an African American, will likely choose the holy Quran when he is sworn into office.
Ellison's triumph is surprising at a time when anti-Islamic sentiment abounds following the Sept 11 attacks on US soil by Muslim extremists five years ago.
The media seldom portray a flattering picture of Islam and Muslims on American TV. This is further compounded by videos of Americans kidnapped and slaughtered by terrorists in front of TV cameras somewhere in the Middle East -- creating suspicion and disomfort towards anyone who calls himself a Muslim.
Like many Democratic candidates, Ellison condemned the war on Iraq and called for the immediate withdrawal of US troops.
In his campaign message, he said: "Right now, nearly everyone from liberal to conservative, agrees that the US policy in Iraq is a catastrophic failure.
It is clearly the biggest blunder in US foreign policy since Vietnam...the fact of the matter is that the only responsible and sound Iraq policy is the immediate withdrawal of all US troops. Like my daddy used to say, 'The first rule of holes is, when you're in one, stop digging'.
"Once we disengage militarily we will then be able to re-engage diplomatically. Our friends and allies across the globe who turned away from our unilateral militarism can be brought back into the diplomatic fold, " he said in a hopeful message to his liberal-leaning, mostly White constituents in Minneapolis.
Voters' disgust with the war and the government's phone surveillance on private citizens, among others, drew many to Democratic candidates.
President George Bush, who insisted on "staying the course" in Iraq and hanging on to his chief architect of the war on Iraq, Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, finally saw the American voters' views with the loss of both houses to the Democrats after 12 years in power. Rumsfeld was forced to step down the morning after the elections.
Ellison, 42, a criminal defence lawyer and state legislator who converted to Islam as a college student, is very liberal in his views, and openly supports gay rights and legal abortion.
He is married to a school teacher and they have four young children ranging in age from 9 to 17.
Corey Saylor, National Legislative Director of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), told Bernama here that anyone running for office had to appeal to a broad constituent to win -- for now, "he'll be a Muslim voice in Congress -- his victory is a milestone for Muslims. But it is not the end of the process."
Saylor said a CAIR study showed that 42 per cent of Muslims consider themselves Democrats, 17 per cent Republicans and 28 percent are not affiliated to any party.
Muslims were in line with Republicans on social issues, but after 9/11 there was a huge shift towards the Democratic party, said Saylor.
There are an estimated seven million American Muslims today, according to CAIR.
-- BERNAMA
Watch that POS Muslim!
Given that Shariah law prescribes the death penalty for sodomy, how does he square this with his faith?
Oh? Well, we're off to a start of some kind anyway.
>>Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, a glamorous no-nonsense grandmother from San Francisco, California
They make her sound like Clara Peller with a touch of "glamor". These MSM hacks must take us for idiots.
The guy is a Black Muslim in a largely Black district. Not an Arab Muslim.
yeah, well, i think the very name muslim implies a certain negativity.
how about slaying almost 3,000 Americans in one sucker punch in sept of '01? kinda negative.
like the fact that there are 1 of 3 options available to infidels, according to your q'aran, none of which are acceptable to a proud and just people.
like, muslims are involved in about 95% of shooting wars across the globe, or that they strap bombs to their children while detonating said bombs from a safe distance.
or, shooting almost 300 schoolchildren in the back, as well as some of their teachers in Beslan.
how about the simple fact that your "leaders" encourage their "soldiers" to blow themselves up, and take all the women and children with them as possible, this all preached as truth, and duly aired on al jezeera, from a safe little hole in the ground.
you may be a complete fool to beleive this; we are greater fools to let a sliver of this into our great country.
the english, spanish, french, danes, germans, and so on already regret giving your brand of cancer a foothold, and you know it very well.
all i can say is this: try this stuff on America, prematurely if you please.
riot in our streets; overturn and burn our camrys, bmws and muranos. especially target the pickup trucks. please.
behead our schoolgirls on their way to christian schools, today, do not wait until tomorrow or 10 years from now.
oooohhh, you will talk of the timing of allah. ]
strange how the timing of allah coincides with the risk factor to your personal safety; a coincidence, i am sure.
funny how brave you are in a basement in bf egypt, literally, all on video with a dull kitchen knife, with your faces covered and your captive bound.
i will give you this: you are patient. you can wait until the west turns so flaccid and lackadaisical that you can walk in and take over without having to become like the Americans you so detest. men who will actually fight, in broad daylight, toe to toe, to protect what the cherish.
So it looks like the 911 terrorists succeeded in changing our society. You can be certain that this guy would not have been elected if 911 had not brought attention to Islam.
Every time society starts to rot the Muslims appear like mushrooms after a dark rain.
I would've figured this clown became an apostate pagan while in prison. Isn't that where most "conversions" to the enemy take place?
Well, most dems swear on the bible, fat lot of good that does us.
Americans prefer a secular government, but when it comes time to be sworn in, newly-elected or newly-appointed officials normally place their right hands on the holy Bible, the Torah for Jewish officials.
Ellison, an African American, will likely choose the holy Quran when he is sworn into office.
Like many Democratic candidates, Ellison condemned the war on Iraq and called for the immediate withdrawal of US troops.
Corey Saylor, National Legislative Director of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), told Bernama here that anyone running for office had to appeal to a broad constituent to win -- for now, "he'll be a Muslim voice in Congress -- his victory is a milestone for Muslims..."
So, will the House be expected to recess to Ellison can roll out his prayer run? Or will they have to provide him with a special prayer run?
I am so glad that you found this article. This information needs to be shouted from the rooftops across America. A Muslim in Congress is like a wolf in a herd of sheep. Democracy and Islam do NOT mix and the sheep will be breakfast to the wolf. By the way, wolves pack . . . just thought I would point that out.
Where is John Titor when you need him.
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