Congress’ First Muslim
November 2, 2006
I heard an interview on the radio this morning with Keith Ellison, who is running for a seat in the House of Representatives in Minnesota. His election would be historic not only because he’d be the first Black Representative from Minnesota ever, but also because he would be the first known Muslim elected to Congress.
In a perfect world, this would be a non-issue. Sadly, we live in a world that is rampant with imperfection, often times manifesting itself as racism, bigotry, and hatred. Sites like this one have popped up attacking Ellison. They don’t attack his stances; they mainly focus on his religion.
This article makes an interesting point:
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[Council on American-Islamic Relations Spokesman Corey] Saylor attributed the fact that there have been no Muslims in Congress to two things: The Muslim political movement in America is in its infancy, with the first groups having started less than two decades ago, and the lasting effects of Sept. 11 and the negative perceptions about Muslims that have resulted.
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That sounds eerily similar to the position that Black people in this country were in last century. Why is our political movement still in its infancy?
Lastly, shout out to Wayne State University in Detroit, where Ellison attended college.
Comments
3 Responses to “Congress’ First Muslim”
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Great post G, I think the reason why the Black political movement is still in its infancy is because somehow as a collective we have bought into the belief that “activists” are crazy dashiki wearing vegetarians instead of appreciating the model that gives everyone a stake in making out lives better.
Also, I think that our language has crippled us by using phrases such as “fighting the system” or “the man”. it is like Black folks are in a war where we can’t see nor define the entities that seek to exploit us.
Lastly, we keep talking about having unity, (which is important) as a prerequisite for doing anything. Just get up and do the work!!!
Stay up fam,
B,
I think you are right. Going one step further, I think people are caught up in what their ideal image of a “revolutionary” is (what you desribed: the cat with dreads and a dashiki). Because people are unable to see themselves in such a light, they feel that they can’t be a part of any “revolution.”
What needs to be understood here is that the “revolution” is a mental and spiritual one. These things happen independent of outward appearance. I don’t give a d@mn how many red, black & green wristbands or bandannas you have, how many malcolm x t shrits you wear; the changes, the “revolution,” must be effective on the inside.
I disagree that the entities that folks are “at war with” are not definable. I think that we have this issue of thinking that they are so big that they are both insurmountable and undefinable. While the challenges are great, they are not impossible. All journeys start the same way: with one step.
Keith Ellison won.