pearls_of_wisdom_ellison

After a

provocative

comment from a person in the audience, the gender

issue became a contentious one. The Congressman then asked in a loud

voice, “If the first person to believe in Islam

, Khadija, the

rophet's wife,

was

a woman, why is it that

some of the

sisters today don’t have a place in some

of the mosques?

We need to admit that there is a problem and then we

need to fix that.”

n an exclusive interview with AMAANY Magazine’s Amal Hageb, Mr. Ellison

makes some insightful remarks

When asked what he thought was the

biggest

misconception about Muslim women, he said:

“That Muslim women are docile, submissive and have no rights and that

while it’

s true that sexism exists throughout the globe – in every society – it

also exists

among Muslims. Muslim women, however, are in leadership and

emerging

throughout the world, including in diverse places like the United

States and even

Saudi Arabia. Most university students in Iran are women.

Pakistan has had a

female Prime Minister (Benazir Bhutto) and now has a

female Speaker. Drawing

inspiration from Muslim leaders like Khadija, the

first wife of Prophet

Mohammed (PBUH), Muslim women are leading,

creating and inspiring the

whole world and will continue to do so. Insha’

Allah”.

During the interview, Congressman Ellison also

commented on

his view on

religion in the workplace. He stated, “I believe in a reasonable

accommodation

of religious expression; head scarves and prayer are

reasonable and should be

accommodated for all faiths.”

When talking about

Muslim women

who are interested in public service and

especially those who are easily identifiable by their headscarf (hijaab), the

issue

how to deal with

anti-Muslim discrimination

came up

A lot of

capable and intelligent Muslim

women in America seek to make a difference

in the lives of others by running for

political office but at the same time, are

concerned about how they would be

received wearing hijaab.

His response?

“Run, Sister, Run!”

Keith closed with a beautiful metaphor for our struggle as a global

community.

He reminded the audience that Muslims are not the first group

of people to face

hardship – as did Native Americans, African-Americans,

Jews,

the Japanese,

Latinos, etc... And that hardship is cleansing for the

soul – it stirs us into

becoming more God-conscious.

He likens our hardship to weeding out a garden and reminds us that our

struggles make us more righteous, the only criteria by which we will be

judge

The message he conveys is that we should not stagnate in anger or

wastefully

complain, but become agents of change instead.

ur good

deeds

in light of our struggles will

strengthen our faith and allow us to better

serve

each other

“So, how do you address your Islam in Congress?” someone asks. Mr. Ellison responds by
saying, “the best lessons are demonstrated and not verbally taught”. He explains that being a
Congressman has actually strengthened his faith – turning to the Quran for spiritual guidance,
he has learned to deal with numerous personal attacks calmly, listening openly and hearing
what is being said so he can react in a better way.

Responding to a general concern in the audience about the ongoing backlash against the
Muslim community and against Muslim-Americans who want to become active citizens in
America, Mr. Ellison asserts, “Don’t count yourself out.” He repeats, “Don’t count yourself out
just because you’re Muslim, it can start right here in this room”.

He also expressed the belief that this idea of a clash of civilizations between Islam and the
West and a supposed conflict between democratic and Muslim identities - is simply not true
and is a myth that continues to be perpetuated to justify anti-Muslim sentiments. He believes
that there is tremendous diversity within Islam and democracy and a rich diversity of Muslims in
America who are more than capable of bringing forth a model of peace and problem resolution
that is not conflict or violence-driven. This is not about us versus them, it's about us working
together to restore America's leadership in global citizenry.

Congressman Ellison gave account for how times are changing and that people have had
enough of “the politics of confrontation” and “the politics of scarcity and fear” and that Americans
are looking for a new conversation, “the politics of courage, generosity and inclusion”. Because
the gap between the wealthy and the poor in the U.S. is widening and the prevalence of all
forms of adversity is increasing, as Americans, we all want a shared prosperity that leads to a
better economy and a country where everyone has the right to be heard. This includes Muslim-
Americans who want change that they can believe in too.

Ellison tells listeners, “there is no one template – everyone can contribute their talents”. He talks
about peace and science as areas that we are falling behind in as a nation and believes that
because “someone out there has the answer”, we cannot afford to leave anyone out given the
challenges that we are facing as a world community.

As Khalifahs (guardians) of the earth, he reminds us that human beings have a responsibility to
take the lead. He asks, “Why is it that the Muslim perspective on global climate change is not
being heard?” We should not keep our philanthropic aspirations or moral responsibilities a
secret; it's time people know what we bring to the table and how much we already contribute.

Speaking directly to the Muslim community, he points out that before having interfaith dialogues
and working towards a common vision, the Muslim community needs to have an intrafaith
dialogue to acknowledge and eradicate ethnic, economic and gender tensions among us.
Race, gender and wealth issues within the community can be tackled he suggests, by holding
open discussions among individuals and groups and working on collaborative projects to
resolve these issues.

Congressman to Muslim Women: Run, Sister, Run!

People want a new way forward, but do we have the vision and leadership to build an inclusive movement where everybody has a
place? Addressing a university crowd, a charismatic Keith Ellison, an African-American and the first Muslim U.S. Congressman,
stirs up the audience with his opening statement.

At first, not too many people believed that Muslim-Americans had a place in Congress but now there are two, Mr. Ellison and
Indiana-based Andre Carson. A Muslim association on Capitol Hill also shows that Muslim-Americans are capable of building a
diverse coalition that serves the interests of the American public. But, why should this be so outstanding? Muslims are part of
America and it is typical of American society that people of all backgrounds come together to work towards common goals.

Despite what some media outlets would have us believe, America is not a land of unchecked bigotry and though people take issue
with U.S. foreign policies, all around the world people see everyday Americans as progressive and good-hearted. Nuances
regarding Senator Barack Obama’s name, his Muslim roots or Kenyan ancestry for instance are all being drowned out by his
massive grassroots appeal. Ellison, Carson and presidential hopeful, Barack all embody the American spirit and in this election,
Obama’s popularity reflects what American people are really like and what they are genuinely concerned about.

A young woman asks Mr. Ellison, how does a Muslim get involved in politics, in representing America, given such a racially-charged
political environment? The audience is pleasantly surprised by the Congressman’s response. He answers, “It’s not very hard. You
just have to get started”. After all, Mr. Ellison got his start by becoming the first American sworn into political office on the Holy Quran,
a circumstance that may not have been received well by some people, but was still viewed by many others as his right.

Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Congressman Ellison graduated from Wayne State University in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. He moved to Minnesota in 1987 to attend the University of
Minnesota Law School where he earned his law degree in 1990. He and his wife, Kim a high school math teacher, have since made Minnesota their home where they are raising their four children Amirah,
Jeremiah, Elijah, and Isaiah. Mr. Ellison’s legislative priorities include promoting peace, prosperity for working families, environmental sustainability and promoting civil and human rights.
Photo Credits: Keith Ellison)

Send your comments and questions regarding this article to: pearlsofwisdom @amaany.org

AMAL A. HAGEB