MINNESOTA: FARRAKHAN'S CANDIDATE, CONTINUED

American Muslims Rally Around Congressional Candidate Ellison
Frederic J. Frommer,
Associated Press

WASHINGTON, 23 September 2006 — When Mohamed Ghabour heard that a Muslim candidate, Keith Ellison, was running for US Congress in Minnesota, Ghabour turned to a sister-in-law who lives in that state for a scouting report.

“She said he’s a good man,” recalled Ghabour, a Muslim pediatrician who lives in Florida. “That’s all I needed to hear.”

Ghabour contributed $999 to Ellison’s campaign, joining other Muslim-American donors who are pinning their hopes, and their dollars, on Ellison becoming the first Muslim elected to Congress.

...

Ellison, 43, stresses that he is just a “regular Muslim,” not a religious leader or scholar.

“Muslims want to express themselves in American life — just like all other Americans do,” Ellison said in an interview. “I think that it’s very encouraging that while some people seek extremism, American Muslims are seeking inclusion and engagement in the American body politic.”

...

“I’m Muslim myself, and so I think that’s important, but more important than that is his bringing people together across religious, racial and age spectrums,” said Jeffrey Hassan, a Minnesota lawyer who has given Ellison about $800. “I think that’s more important than the fact that he’s Muslim.”

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Republicans are trying to make an issue of a contribution from another Council on American-Islamic Relations official — executive director Nihad Awad, who gave Ellison $2,000.

In a fundraising letter last week, state Republican Chairman Ron Carey said Ellison has received “financial support from a self-identified supporter of Hamas.”

That was a reference to Awad’s 1994 statement that he preferred Hamas to the Palestinian Liberation Organization. In an interview, Awad said that was before the group engaged in suicide bombings.

“I don’t support Hamas today,” Awad said.

Pertinent Links:

1) American Muslims Rally Around Congressional Candidate Ellison

2) Farrakhan's Candidate