Election 2006

Voters in the fifth congressional district in Minnesota created history at the polls today when they elected Keith Ellison, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party candidate as their representative. Mr. Ellison has become the first Muslim ever to be elected to the US Congress.

His victory is being celebrated as a landmark success by millions of Muslims who live in America.

“We think this is a success on two fronts,” said Corey Saylor, of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), based in Washington, D.C. “First, it says very good things about America,” he said, explaining how people voted for Mr. Ellison, based on the issues he raises, rather than being swayed by opponents, who tried to make an issue of his religious beliefs.

“Secondly,” he added, “this is a good sign of the growing strength of the Muslim community in America.”

While on the campaign trail, Mr. Ellison recognized the importance of this landmark, but avoided being tagged as a Muslim candidate. “His appeal is not based on any one facet of his identity,” said, Mohamed Sabur, a volunteer who took time off from work in Washington to travel to Minneapolis and join Mr. Ellison on the campaign. “The reason why Muslims all over the country have gravitated towards Ellison is more because his message of justice and peace resonate with them strongly, especially right now.”

Still, Mr. Ellison’s success comes in the backdrop of an increasingly dynamic and organized Muslim political machine and a network of increasingly active Muslim voters in the U.S., who are celebrating his entry into congress.

There are over seven million Muslims in the United States today, who constitute the fastest growing religious, and some would say minority group in the country. A study by Cornell University estimated the Muslim population will double to a total of sixteen million by 2014.

Muslims, as a community were boosted to the forefront of the popular American consciousness after September 11 2001. Since then, living in America and being American has acquired new meaning for many Muslims. As the community identifies problems that are common to it, Muslims groups have started to vocalize these issues using this midterm election as an important springboard for organization.

One such outfit, The Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation, launched a Center for Electoral Empowerment a few months before the election. The initiative ensures that Muslims in America will not be taken for granted, politically, according to Mr. Mahdi Bray the executive Director of the Foundation. “It is crucial that we galvanize the Muslim voter for this midterm election. There is a lot at stake.”

Muslim organizations have identified erosion of civil liberties, human rights violations, unfair immigration laws, foreign policies of aggression against Muslim countries, health care and education as some of the most important issues for Muslim voters in this election.

Many organizations have carried out voter education and mobilization campaigns aimed at Muslims. The Muslim American society has used registration kiosks at mosques and phone campaigns to get the Muslim vote out all over the country. The Chicago chapter of CAIR reported that they were able to register 1,055 new voters in one congressional district in Illinois alone.

Smaller Muslim organizations are concentrating on impacting local races. The Virginia Muslim Political Action Committee has endorsed and campaigned for Democratic candidate Jim Webb against incumbent Republican George Allen. According to Mr. Mukit Hossain the president of the committee the 60,000 registered Muslim voters in Virginia could very well make a difference in one of the most tightly contested gubernatorial races this year.

Mr. Ellison’s campaign in Minnesota also received large contributions from individual Muslims, both living in and out-of-state. Though campaign contributions are not tracked by faith allegiances, data made available by Congressional Quarterly, a group that tracks contributions for candidates, shows over $50,000 in contributions to Mr. Ellison’s campaign have come from individuals with traditional Muslim names, out of a total of $445,000.

“We’re in an Islamic Center right now and this place is full of Ellison supporters,” said Mr. Sabur on Election Day in Minneapolis. “We even got a call from a Muslim in Canada the other day, wishing us the best.”

Muslims have not always backed Democratic candidates and historically a large section of the Muslim community has voted Republican. “Islamic teachings are in line with Republican values,” Mr. Saylor explained, but quickly adding that Muslim votes have typically been across the partisan lines.

In the 2000 presidential race AMPCC-PAC, a coalition of four major Muslim American groups, endorsed George W. Bush and a substantial segment of the Muslim population voted for him. The 2004 Presidential election, according to CAIR, showed a strong swing towards the Democratic candidate.

During this midterm election, according to many observers, Muslims have lined up strongly behind Democratic candidates again.

With the 2008 presidential election not too far in the future, a consolidated Muslim voting block could become more important than ever before. Mr. Ellison’s successful campaign to enter Congress has also opened the minds of many Muslims to the endless possibilities of being involved and making a difference at highest levels of power in their country.

“He breaks the glass ceiling for us,” Corey Saylor said. “I’m sure they are a lot of younger folk out there who are thinking ‘I could never get elected because I’m Muslim.’ Ellison will show that Muslims can do it after all.”