Congressman Ellison answered questions on the American Muslim experience, the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, and current events in the Muslim world.

Source: The World Bulletin:

Muslims are “supposed to be working to put love into the world”, said Keith Ellison, a member of the United States House of Representatives.

Aged 50, Ellison has represented Minnesota since 2002. He is the first Muslim to be elected to the US Congress.
Ellison said the American Muslim experience was “like one elevator going up, one elevator going down.”
“There is a circumstance that America is having trouble accepting people who are Muslim.
“But here’s the reality: I’ve been on the ballot for US Congress for four times. I’ve never lost in election.

“People know I’m Muslim. My opponents make sure they know. Because they try to whip up anti-Muslim hate. And these people vote for me, what does that mean? America is not a Muslim hating country.”

The congressman said prejudice against Muslims also existed in the US parliament.
“There was a member of Congress who recently said the American Muslims never denounced terrorism. I went to him as a brother, as a fellow congressman, and I said, ‘Hey man, I think you are mistaken about this,’ and I shared with him information about all the Muslim groups who denounced terrorism. He said ‘I didn’t know,’ I said ‘it’s ok.’
“I told him I was a Muslim, my children are Muslim. I told him I have a son who is in the US Army. I told him: ‘Look, he’s a patriotic American and he is a sincere Muslim. So what are you going to do with that?'”

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