His roots may indeed go back that far. But they weren't Muslim "roots." He's a convert to Islam, brought up as a Baptist, IIRC.
Someone claiming to be his mother phoned in on Michael Medved's radio show recently.
She claimed the family was devout Catholic, and that Ellison comes home for Christmas and celebrates it with his family, in addition to his Muslim holidays.
She sounded very sweet and intelligent.
I would be distraught if either of my children converted to Isalm.
I would feel that I had failed the most significant aspect of my parenthood, that of passing on the Great Gift of God, the conviction that Jesus is our Lord and Savior.