ELLISON=20 BECOMES FIRST MUSLIM = CONGRESSMAN

(Washington,=20 DC -=20 11/8/06) -- The election of Minnesota Democrat = Keith=20 Ellison as the nation's first Muslim member of = Congress=20 is a milestone for American pluralism. Ellison = also=20 became the first African American from = Minnesota to = be=20 elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. = Ellison's=20 election was accompanied by historic numbers of = American=20 Muslim voters going to the polls yesterday to = make their=20 voices heard.

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"Tonight,=20 we made history," Mr = Ellison=20 said in a victory speech to supporters. "We won = a key=20 election, but we did much more than that. We = showed that=20 a candidate can run a 100% positive campaign and = prevail, even against tough = opposition."

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Throughout=20 his campaign Ellison, a criminal defense = attorney who=20 converted to Islam as a college student, focused = on=20 issues that resonate in the 5th District in = Minneapolis. = Ellison=20 says he became involved in politics in college = after=20 hearing about apartheid, and he converted from=20 Catholicism to Islam.

"People draw = strength and=20 moral courage from a variety of religious = traditions.=20 Mine have come from both Catholicism and Islam," = Ellison=20 has said. "I was raised Catholic and later = became a=20 Muslim while attending Wayne=20 State = University. I am=20 inspired by the Quran's=20 message of an encompassing divine love, and a = deep faith=20 guides my life every day." Ellison's strength is = that he=20 brings together people of all faiths to work = towards=20 better policy.

Ellison said he wants to = catalyze=20 citizens of all income levels and races to have = a voice=20 in government. He reaches out to = previously=20 disengaged groups like students and immigrants = to urge=20 them to get involved. Already, his efforts have = borne=20 fruit: voter turnout shot up in his district = during the=20 September primaries.

"I think the most = important=20 thing about this race is we tried to pull people = together on things we all share, things that are = important to everyone," Ellison told the = Associated=20 Press.

This election should indicate to = the=20 Muslim community, that our vote counts. MPAC = Executive=20 Director, Salam Al-Marayati=20 stated that "the only way towards success in = American=20 society is by civic engagement and political=20 participation." Marayati=20 also stated that "the effectiveness of this = campaign was=20 due to Ellison's ability to unite labor, = minority=20 communities and bring in people of all = religions." The=20 Muslim Public Affairs Council is hopeful that = the=20 balance of power in Washington, DC will = bring forth a=20 new energy and new perspectives on issues facing = our=20 nation today.

Ellison=20 won 56 percent of the vote, defeating Republican = Alan=20 Fine and the Independence Party's Tammy Lee, = both of=20 whom garnered 21 percent of the vote.

In = key=20 elections throughout the country, candidates are = beginning to realize the impact of the Muslim=20 electorate. The increasing interaction of = Muslim=20 communities with elected officials and = candidates is a=20 positive step in solving public policy issues. = Aside=20 from anti-Islamic rhetoric in political = campaigns, what=20 matters is getting out the vote and getting our = voices=20 heard.

The Muslim community demonstrated = its=20 importance in this election and will continue to = do so=20 in future elections. In states like = Virginia, = the Muslim=20 vote became the critical vote in tipping the = balance on=20 control of the US Senate. Ellison's = victory and=20 the rise of Muslim participation in politics are = success=20 stories for our country. It is imperative = for=20 Muslims to continue and develop the path for = civic=20 engagement.

Founded in 1988, MPAC is a = public=20 service agency working for the civil rights of = American=20 Muslims, for the integration of Islam into = American=20 pluralism, and for a positive, constructive = relationship=20 between American Muslims and their=20 representatives.

[CONTACT: Edina Lekovic, 213-383-3443,=20 communications@mpac.org]